when did Easter become a gift-based holiday?

[iheartdisney]

I'm just curious. Growing up, we never got Easter gifts. We got a basket with some candy in it, maybe an Easter plush.
My mind is boggling with the things that are being pushed as Easter gifts. And the budgets people have for Easter Baskets!
I just don't get it. Did I miss the memo?

 

[sau418]

I am so with you. I don't want to load my kids with a ton of candy so I bought a few small things, (a my little pony, $1 sunglasses, and a small thing of playdoh) and a little candy, but we will have to see both sets of grandparents so it becomes almost like Christmas and it is killing me.

 

[DISNEYNV]

I agree, but I am also guilty! I make up baskets for my kids with pajamas, stickers, a few small toys or outdoor toys/gadgets and tshirts from the Disney store ( since we go to Disney in May). Last year I made a basket up with kids garden accessories for my DD4. I would rather spend the money on this stuff than candy. I also put in one chocolate bunny of course and they do a few egg hunts. My kids are little yet so I would rather do the gifts than all the sugar

 

[ckdsnynt]

We don't do presents for Easter. I buy the DGD Easter dresses, baskets, some candy (not a lot, my DS would throw a mjor fit!) and a few small toys (like $1.00 or $2.00) or a bunny or chick each (stuffed, of course) for their baskets and that is it! Now, I do buy the cute baskets but not the outrageous filled ones!
And my DGDs live out of state so I don't see them that often but I still don't buy gifts per se. That isn't what Easter is about for us. But to each his own, I guess. I would love it if my girls lived close enough to dye eggs with them and watch them hunt for eggs like we did for all our kids (I had four siblings so there were lots of little kids at Easter!) but that is not the case so I buy their Ester baskets and clothes so they can go to church in things Nana bought them. That way, I am at least a part of their celebration.

 

[deedeetoo]

I also am amazed by this. In our house the easter bunny comes and leaves a chocolate bunny and some candy for each kid. No presents at all. We like to keep Easter as a religious holiday. A little candy is fine but that's it.

 

[delmar411]

same here. They get some candy a few easter themed trinkets and that's it.

 

[mericletwins]

Our Easter baskets are big deals, but strangely birthdays are not so I guess it all evens out. I didn't want to load the baskets with candy so I started out years ago putting "stuff" in with a little candy. The following is what is usually in.
Keep in mind we are always travelling Easter week

Bathing suit
Flip-flops
goggles
movie
book
video game
bubbles

I will have to buy them a bathing suit and flip flops within the next 6 weeks of Easter anyway so I just get it early and they get it in their Easter basket. Goggles I buy for the pool each sumer so they get that early. Video game and movie to entertain on the drive hoe from wherever we are.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Heck - I am 40 and always got gifts!

A basket, some clothes, new shoes. I am an adult and my mother still takes us all shoe shopping at Nordstrom for Easter shoes. Books, gift cards, trips, new bike, Coach purse - were all things I received as a kid for Easter.

I Love the Easter Bunny!

 

[jpkkld]

I'm 75% agreed that Easter should be a little bit of candy and a couple things from the $1 store . . . but the other 25% of me sees a NEED to give dd4 some gifts in the spring. Between her Nov. birthday and Christmas, she gets flooded all at once, then there are no special occasions for the rest of the year. I don't do a Christmas-style gift fest, but a bathing suit, some sundresses, outdoor toys (hula hoop, big ball, chalk), and a few season-themed books always get left by the Easter bunny. One year, we gave her a used bike. This year she's getting Disney luggage (clearance). In theory, I agree that Easter should not be about gifts. But there are just so many things kids need for spring/summer that Easter is an easy way to provide them, without admitting that Mom & Dad CAN afford this stuff.

I think the real problem is the grandparents. DD gets stuff from the Easter bunny, but not even one jelly bean from Mom & Dad - why do grandparents see a need to shell out so much for a non-gift holiday??

 

[ShootingStarMom2]

Our Easter bunny growing up would leave us a basket with some candy and maybe a small item like a new brush or socks. We got a few eggs with change in them too. It wasn't crazy like everything I see today! I got DS some treats, an Easter coloringbook, and some new chalk. DH and I exchange cards and I usually try to steal a few pieces of candy from my niece and nephew's baskets later at dinner.

 

[here757]

we do a small gift cuz of the candy..
my kid has xms candy left over.. when hes not home ill throw it out LOL
santa brings fruit.. why not gifts at easter?
i dont think it has a thing to do with religion..

 

[Octoberbabiesrus]

We do a basket with a couple of gifts, a movie, coloring books, and usually a car or train of somesort. Nothing major.

 

[Judy Judy Judy]

I know exactly what your saying, I was reading on the community board about some people budgeting for Easter...100.00 per kid so they could get blah blah blah...I was like WHAT

At my house the kids always got an Easter outfit for chuch and an Easter basket and maybe some Easter eggs to hunt. anything else to me is just plain crazy.

 

[Nicoal13]

Growing up we got a little candy and some eggs.

For my son, I get him a coloring book or a DVD instead of all the candy since I don't want him eating so much of it. But I don't spend much.

My parents get DS a little toy maybe, but also because they don't want to pump him full of candy.

But it is not a huge gift giving holiday. Just little things, and only one or two at that.

 

[mom of princessx2]

we do a small gift cuz of the candy..
my kid has xms candy left over.. when hes not home ill throw it out LOL
santa brings fruit.. why not gifts at easter?
i dont think it has a thing to do with religion..

Huh???

 

[kinntj]

We do Easter kind of big here. I would say $50 a kid in their basket. A movie, some outdoor stuff, tshirts, reading books, etc. One small chocolate bunny and no other candy. I hate candy in my kids basket.

I don't get the negativity on the issue though. Who cares?
I'm seeing a couple of people here saying (to them) that buying a big basket takes away from the religion of the holiday. In what way exactly?

My kids hear the same sermon and message of Easter as anyone else. The celebration of Easter Sunday means more than just what the bunny brings. My kids believe the bunny helps celebrate the salvation we've received through Christ.

 

[WantToGoNow]

In our house, the kids get a new outfit/shoes for church on Easter Sunday. We have never done an Easter bunny and last year dd5 (was 4 then) told all of the 3-4 year olds at the egg hunt "look, there's a zipper on that bunny's back". They will get a small basket with a few pieces of candy and a movie from me - last year, I even let them pick it out.

 

[maddiesmom0116]

I saw this post and decided to see what I have spent this year. Between the basket& goodies, candy molds, DD5's dress and acc. it is $300 and that doesn't include the money I will spend on a nice dinner. Your right this is becoming a expensive holiday. I only have 1 child, I can't even imagine the expense with 4 or 5 little ones.

 

[MiniGirl]

I do give gifts in the Easter basket. I do it because I want to stay away from the candy, but I wanted them to have something. I usually use this as a way to replenish their outdoor playthings -- bubbles, sidewalk chalk, moon sand, a jump rope, etc. These are things that I would get anyway because I want to encourage them to play outside. They just seem to be better received if they get them as a gift. KWIM?

 

[jodifla]

Some of it is my basket was filled with candy 40 years ago. My son's will be filled with a few lollipops, and then toys instead of the sweets.