When did Easter turn into a gift giving holiday?

[Piecey]

We are not a religious family, so Easter is mostly the bunny/egg hunts for us. I wasn't raised with any religion... but was raised by a mother that gave gifts for EVERYTHING. Including New Years! We always had a present on our plate at the dinner table, haha.

I don't go as crazy as her- it was always a $20-$30 gift, no matter the holiday. Halloween, Valentine's Day, Easter, New Years, whatever. Plus a bag of other random little things.

My boys are getting an Easter basket with a few plastic eggs with fruit snacks inside, a chocolate Easter duck or bunny or something (tiny) from Sarris chocolate, a movie and a puzzle. And a box of Girl Scout Cookies.

They're only getting the movies because I already bought them this year. 1 will get the new Muppet movie and the other the free copy of Tinkerbell I got from Disney Movie Rewards.
I would have bought/got them both so I am just sticking them in a cabinet for a week to make them an Easter "gift"...

 

[MagicalMelissa]

I don't like giving my kids too much candy, but they always get a bunny and a few other things like chocolate eggs and jelly beans. I try to stay away from cheap "filler" items because I just end up throwing them away. Sometimes a small toy or video game if it's something I know they really want. I try to get them things they "need" like a new bathing suit for summer or a new summer outfit. Fills up the basket and I was going to buy it anyway.

 

[2disneyboys]

There's a tradition of the Easter bunny?? how did I make it to adulthood and raise a 9 and 11 (nearly 12!) year old and not know there is a tradition to follow regarding the Easter Bunny? Guess I"m going to have to visit my pal "google" once I'm done here..

Our celebration at Easter is very much a religious one.. much more so than even Christmas. I do make up a "family" basket and it usually has a movie or movie tickets, some sort of treat (candy, chips, whatnot) (we dont' really have candy in the house much at all!) and a Family activity coupon. One year it was an day trip to the beach, other year it was a camping/hiking trip in the mountians. We've done the zoo, some local museums etc. I'd much rather focus on doing something as a family then getting "stuff" but that's just us. I've never done individual baskets (but then again, I grew up poor (like dirt poor) and mom could barely do a special meal for Easter dinner and a few small chocolate bunnies, so I guess that's why it never morphed into a big elaborate basket in my head) and with regards to visiting the easter bunny at the mall... well, frankly, the only dressed up characters we prefer to visit all live @ Disney, lol. We've never pretended the eggs or the baskets came from a rabbit.. they kids have always known it was us.

Both DH & my family is all local and we come from big families, so there is always the multiple egg decorating contests, egg hunts, and just various family gatherings.

This is one of those there is no wrong answer questions. what works for one family is "right" and what works for another family is "right" even if these two "rights" are polar opposites. No one should be made to feel like they have to defend thier choices/traditions.