For those who read my post last year on the tradition of Santa Claus will be far from surprised to learn that in my household, we don’t ‘do’ the Easter Bunny, nor will we…ever. In fact, my husband absolutely detests the idea of the Easter Bunny – though perhaps he had a bias to begin with as a farmer at heart – bunnies and hares are pests of course – and considering that the furry friend is rooted in a European Spring tradition that we as Autumnal Easter celebrators do not share it is really difficult to make a tangible link to the Easter Bunny’s relevance to Christ’s resurrection.
I mean, what does an oversized rabbit have to do with the death and resurrection of our Saviour? Yes, receiving eggs from the Easter Bunny is a time honoured tradition, one so deeply rooted in our Western culture that most people barely bat an eyelid when Easter rolls around and mountains of chocolate eggs are left for children to gorge themselves on when they wake up on Easter morning.
Easter eggs I have no problem with – they are intended to represent both the empty tomb of Jesus and new, salvific, life in Christ though I’m certain that this truth will never be part of Easter advertising in our supermarkets. Hot cross buns, those we do in abundance during Lent (but I refuse to purchase them in store before Ash Wednesday). That supermarkets deliberately pander to the Lenten observance of abstaining from meat by offering fish and seafood at sale prices before Easter is one I enjoy. Yes, they are making money out of me, but I’m saving a packet on fresh, frozen and tinned fish!
But the Easter Bunny, really? Sorry, I’ll pass.
For me, the Easter Bunny is cute and cuddly usurper, who takes the focus of Easter away from where it should be, on Jesus. As such, we do not invite the Easter Bunny to be a part of our family’s celebration of Easter.
Yes, to some, I am the Grinch that killed Christmas and Easter and, yes, the Tooth Fairy too. I am not suggesting that our way is the right way, or the only way, and that all others are wrong, but for us we felt that once again, what may have started as a simple tradition has become a weapon of crass commercialisation. When my children hear the words Christmas and Easter I want them to think: Jesus’ Birthday and Jesus’ death and resurrection respectively, not Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
When my children wake up on Easter morning we will carry out our own, new traditions, all of which focus on Jesus and we will attend 9am Mass before returning home where a small present each to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus will be given. These gifts are generally a mix of clothing and a few small chocolate eggs. And after that, we’ll be off to celebrate with the extended family.
And that’s just how we like it.
What are your thoughts? Do you ‘do’ the Easter Bunny, have you adapted the tradition to fit a more Christian idea or do find other ways to celebrate Easter with your children?
Originally posted 2014-04-10 22:35:22.