Is Easter the new Christmas?

[mickeyfan2]

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.

That is it!! It is all MM's family and friends. They commercialized Easter.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I feel so sorry for these children when they grow up. There are more and more of them out there. They will be in for a BIG surprise when they realize money doesn't grow on trees and credit card bills HAVE to be paid

I blame the parents.

Does the ski chalet count?

 

[meandtheguys2]

I was a bad Aunt on Easter. I showed the nieces and nephews that you could microwave a peep. Sad to say all the adults wanted to see the peeps in the microwave too!!

I showed my kids, and am sending the niece and nephew some down with my mom with instructions!

I don't worry about what other families are doing. We give a bit of a gift, usually something sringish like tennis rackets and balls. Not so much candy. Some peeps, reese eggs, and robin eggs. It works for us.

 

[hentob]

Does the ski chalet count?

So much I could say, but I want to stay on The DIS.

I will say, that many parents who are buying Coach Bags and designer duds for their little 5th Graders don't have a DIME put away for them to go to college If they would have only invested that money.

But again, the parents aren't thinking about the future.

It scares me what is going to happen in America 20 years from now. As it is, more and more jobs are being eliminated or outsourced. How are the children of today going to fund the spending habits their parents taught them?

So bleak

 

[Bichon Barb]

I was a bad Aunt on Easter. I showed the nieces and nephews that you could microwave a peep. Sad to say all the adults wanted to see the peeps in the microwave too!!

My kids put peeps in the freezer to see what would happen. As of last night, they still hadn't froze.

Just checked. It's frozen solid. LOL.

 

[mickeyfan2]

My kids put peeps in the freezer to see what would happen. As of last night, they still hadn't froze.

Just checked. It's frozen solid. LOL.

Microwave the frozen peep. I need to know if they are better room temp or frozen for this earth shattering experiment.

 

[carone0318]

My kids get baskets with bathing suits, flip flops, googles and cover ups. Ds got a new DS game and dd got a new leotard for gymnastics. In addition they got some candy. We also had an egg hunt and the eggs were filled with dollar bills (which could be used for the ice cream man) and Disney dollars. They had a total of 10 eggs each, with 5 Disney Dollars and the other 5 with the regular dollars.

Some might think excessive, but we don't. It is on par for what we do each year. Based on what I just wrote, some might think my kids are spoiled. I assure you that they are not and in fact do not act it either.

Both kids attend Catholic school and have celebrated Easter's true meaning in school including a prayer service and a Silent Walk and at home. Dd even asked me on Saturday night before she went to bed, that since the true meaning of Easter is about Jesus how did the whole Easter bunny and basket thing become part of it? I scratched my head and said, dd that is a very good question - the transition happened before my time.

My kids "get the true meaning of Easter", but also enjoy the little gifts that they get too - which are from an Easter bunny, not Jesus. They seperate the 2. I think it is possible to be able to enjoy both.

 

[Crankyshank]

Every year we get treated to my Grandfather telling us the bunny didn't come to his house because he shot him

We always got a basket filled with a chocolate bunny, some small candies like jelly beans, cadbury mini eggs, hershey eggs, and something small like a jump rope and a paperback book. We'd also have an egg hunt.

Honestly Easter never was a big deal with my family.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

well I think you must be right because there is an article in the business pages today stating Easter is now the 3rd spending Holiday (up from 4th) behind Christmas and Valentines. Mother's Day has slipped to 4th.


I think society as a whole spends more on EVERYTHING. I thing the next genertation is going to be known as Generation Buy Me.

 

[JVL1018]

These are my kids Easter baskets:

Nothing big-a chocolate bunny(hollow), a chocolate cross, eggs filled with Sweettarts, jelly beans, Kit Kats and Nestle Crunch, 2 Play Doh eggs each, bubbles, Spin toothbrush, bubbles, coloring book, a Webkinz, a DVD for DS and a CD for DD.

I actually purposely toned it down this year from last year.

My brother and SIL came over with an Easter Mr Potato Head bucket for each of the kids, so cute!

 

[Whosemom]

I'm stinkin' cheap. Whenever my kids ask for stuff I say no. I buy toys at Christmas and birthdays (which are in Oct and NOv). So, if there is something I want them to have for spring or summer, I get it for them at Easter. There really wasn't anything this year, so I got them each a Tshirt, dh picked up the original star wars trillogy at a used place and split it between them, and I bought them each a dollar craft. Plus split a bag of hersey kisses amongst them. All this went into (like a pp) a plastic organizer box. (that's the most fun part for me...what can I put stuff in that they will use). But last year we were planning a big trip and I got them a ton of stuff to keep them occupied in the car, plus snorkling stuff. I was worried about them feeling slighted this year, but they were as delighted as ever.

So, anyway, those of you offended by Easter presents, when you are buying a random toy here and there over the year, remember that maybe not everyone else is doing that

For people who want to have their kids hunt for eggs...the thing that bothers me here is all the groups outside the family that do that. By the time they hunt eggs at a school party, and the Saturday before Easter at church, and girl scouts, and the town park, you can just forget anything simple at home.

 

[katerkat]

I know this comes up from time to time, but it still amazes me that anybody's 10 year old would even want a Coach anything!

I dunno, some of the purses look good on a toddler. (And no, I didn't pose this, he picked up my purse when I said it was time to go. )

So, anyway, those of you offended by Easter presents, when you are buying a random toy here and there over the year, remember that maybe not everyone else is doing that

That's true, somewhat - I buy Russ things when he needs them (not toys so much, but clothes, etc.) I just got him two shirts and I could have put them in the basket, but... I dunno, I guess for me, I'd rather give him things for no reason (or because he needs them) than tie gift-giving to a holiday, especially a religious holiday (to me, religious.)

 

[horseshowmom]

I dunno, some of the purses look good on a toddler. (And no, I didn't pose this, he picked up my purse when I said it was time to go. )

You know he's going to get you for that one day, don't you!