Is Easter the new Christmas?

[MzDiz]

Nah. I saw the Easter Bunny driving a cab a few years ago.

Anne

I'm afraid to ask.

 

[ilovejack02]

Well presents or not... I love Easter, I love going to church that morning seeing the little ones in their new outfits and the joyful service. I love the flowers blooming.( well at least here in south ) I love spending the day with the family and dying eggs with my kids. If you give your kids presents or dont as long as you remember the meaning of the day , that is what is important!!!

Have a happy day folks!!!

 

[Disney Doll]

Got a basket as a kid with some candy and a stuffed bunny.
That was it.
No presents, no money.
I was quite happy with that.

 

[disneyfan67]

Nah, Halloween is still the new Christmas. If Disney doesn't have a hard ticket evening event themed around it, it's a second tier holiday.

Oh, boy, now you did it. Some Disney marketing guru will see your post and there will be a meeting of the minds at corperate head quarters. They just need to figure out how to tone down the religious aspects of the Easter Holiday and think of a nifty name for the hard ticket event.

Maybe they should call it: "MNSRSSEP"

Mickeys Not So Religious Super Special Easter Parade.

 

[horseshowmom]

To be honest, I was wondering the same thing.

Me too...

Our local newspaper asks different people a question each week and publishes their picture and answer (5 of them). This week it was "What do you like best about Easter?", and the people were little kids. Almost every one of them answered "Easter presents". I looked at DH and asked what they were talking about. I mean, I know all about Easter baskets (and we did that when DD was little - small gifts/stuffed animal and candy in a basket), but I'd never even heard of Easter presents. When I saw this thread, I figured it out. This is all news to me.

I agree with others who view it as more commercialization, but to each his/her own.

 

[hildasmuriel]

People keep asking me whether I've had a nice Easter - it's like any other Sunday, except I'm bored because everything is closed (stupid Easter Sunday trading laws - expect that to change in the next few years!). I got an Easter Egg from my folks, and we got them one - but since it was 3 eggs for $6 and my folks have 3 kids, that's $2 each. I don't mind spending $2 on candy.

I'm not having a special lunch, despite everyone asking. No, I didn't get dressed up. No, I didn't do an Easter Egg hunt (the Easter Bunny doesn't really exist in the UK). I don't know anyone who's ever done these things

Christmas is SO much better.

The UK calendar looks like this:

January: New Year aka a chance to get drunk
February: Valentines - not really taken seriously by anyone, I gave a card to my boyfriend but that's it
March/April: Easter - the odd chocolate egg
May/June/July/August/September/October: Nothing
November: Fireworks night
December: Christmas

Sounds like Hallmark haven't invaded here just yet!

Hi Kath, I guess things are a little different in Exeter! In our part of the UK
Feb: Everybody seems to go mad about Valentines (have you tried booking a meal for that date?)
March : Hallmark make a fortune from Mothering Sunday cards (linked to religious festival in the UK)
April: Easter cards now more popular. No Easter baskets in UK, nor much present buying, but a whole ton of chocolate. Thank goodness for Easter Sunday trading laws - long may they survive!
June : Father's Day - another Hallmarkfest
July - end of term and 'thank you Teacher' cards proliferate.
Hurray - free from card buying until Christmas!

My children had no presents, only Easter eggs, and a tiny Easter chick given out at our church service this morning.

 

[marybet]

When my boys were little, in the 70's, they got some toys. They really didn't like candy that much and one year they got Big Wheels. We never exchanged gifts with anyone, my mother would hide plastic eggs with money in them. By the time they were in high school I don't think they got anything.

I no longer even celebrate Easter. Just another day.

 

[joshsmom]

That's a good idea. A night where only the cirtter characters are out doing what they do in Spring.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

In my opinion, it's all one giant Hallmark Holiday after another. No sooner does one display come down than another goes up. Every one of them an opportunity to buy things.

February: Valentines Day
March/April: Easter
May: Mother's Day
June: Father's Day
July/August: Back to School
October: Sweetest Day & Halloween
November: Thanksgiving
December: Christmas

but you forgot

Administrative Assistant's Day
Bosses Day
Grandparent's Day
Kid's Day (I saw this last year but I can't remember what month it was in)
There is also a whole WEEK of Teacher Aprreciation.

 

[Imagine Ears]

For God's sake. Does each and every thread like this have to lead to personal attacks and people fighting?

 

[jrmasm]

Don't sweat it...Some people don't get the fact this is an OPEN forum..You never put other people down, it was a simple question.

It wasn't a simple question, it was a vent about other people's spending and gift giving habits.

Since this an OPEN forum, that means not everyone has to agree.

And my question was never answered, why does anyone care? What's wrong with stcking with your own traditions instead of worrying what everyone else is doing?

 

[MushyMushy]

My parents always took Easter as the opportunity to buy us spring and summer clothes, then piled on the candy and a few gifts. That was in the 70s and 80s! I never did that much with my kids. Just a stuffed bunny and a small basket with some candy (crackers and fruit when they were wee little).

So, I don't know... big gift giving at Easter was always par for the course in my family. And I just remembered now that you mentioned it, I had a friend who got a mink bunny for Easter.

 

[mommasita]

It wasn't a simple question, it was a vent about other people's spending and gift giving habits.

Since this an OPEN forum, that means not everyone has to agree.

And my question was never answered, why does anyone care? What's wrong with stcking with your own traditions instead of worrying what everyone else is doing?

Yes, I think most of us feel it was a question. She/HE was asking why. I don't think they put anyone down. They asked why. You can do what you want. If you take it so personally maybe you should think about what YOU were never answered..

Happy Easter

 

[Kath2003]

Hi Kath, I guess things are a little different in Exeter! In our part of the UK
Feb: Everybody seems to go mad about Valentines (have you tried booking a meal for that date?)

No...I'm a student so I don't get to eat out much tbh

March : Hallmark make a fortune from Mothering Sunday cards (linked to religious festival in the UK)

True, it costs me £1.25 in a card from the card shop I work in every year

April: Easter cards now more popular. No Easter baskets in UK, nor much present buying, but a whole ton of chocolate. Thank goodness for Easter Sunday trading laws - long may they survive!

Never sent or received an Easter card - maybe I'm just unloved Lots of chocolate - agreed. HATE Easter Sunday trading laws (except when I worked Sundays and got paid to take a day off...)

June : Father's Day - another Hallmarkfest

Another £1.25 if Dad's not working abroad...

July - end of term and 'thank you Teacher' cards proliferate.

Never bought either of these - my housemate's a teacher so we'll see if she gets any at the end of the year

I don't think the English are as big on holidays as the Americans. I don't even send Christmas cards unless I've not seen that person in the past 6 months and even then I send it with a personal letter (and that's only if I don't have their email address!).

So really I do:
Birthday presents for family and S.O. (£10 each - hate extravagant birthday gifts)
Christmas presents for family and S.O. (£15 each)
Easter Eggs (£1 for my Mum...)
Mothers Day card (£1.25)
Father's Day card (£1.25)
So I guess I spend what, £113.50 on EVERYTHING holiday related throughout the year. That's scary and I do a lot less than most people!

 

[LuvMV50]

We colored eggs yesterday as a family (grandparents included) and then watched "Charlotte's Web" together.

This morning, my kids (7 and 9) each got a reusable "basket" (one of those sterilite containers with lids..one pink, one blue). They both got a Gamecube game, a spring outfit (shorts and shirt) and very little candy (twizzlers and bubble gum because neither one cares for chocolate).

In an hour, we will all sit down and have Easter Dinner together then play a game of Monopoly! That is our family Easter!

 

[MzDiz]

This morning, my kids (7 and 9) each got a reusable "basket" (one of those sterilite containers with lids..one pink, one blue).

Ooh, that's a really good idea! These baskets I have around here are useless for the remainder of the year.

 

[LuvMV50]

Ooh, that's a really good idea! These baskets I have around here are useless for the remainder of the year.

MzDiz, we always try to buy a 'basket' that can be reused! After 3 years of having those regular easter baskets around the house, I told DH I was buying something they could put toys or whatever in after! They love them and used to think the Easter Bunny was very smart for doing that. I say "used to think" because I don't believe my 9 year old still believes! LOL

 

[LaraK]

I use the same basket every year. In it I put as little candy as I can get away with and a couple of cheap toys. I use the plastic eggs and put a few jelly beans in each to make it look like more stuff in the basket. My son is allergic to chocolate, so it cuts down on the choices. At least peeps (yuck!) have lots of bulk.

 

[Mermaid02]

My 10 year old got a DVD and some candy... My 17 year old got a $20 and some candy.
I don't feel I'm in competition with anyone else's "baskets" I do it the way I want to.

 

[marlasmom]

Decades later I still remember the Easter basket I got that had TWO Nancy Drew books AND TWO Beverly Gray books. What a treasure.