The Great Easter Basket Debate
The other day I asked Chase what Easter is about. He answered, "The Easter Bunny comes and brings me toys and candy." Ugh. Granted he doesn't go to church and his family is not particularly religious, but it still made me sad. And I worry about Lucy growing up with the same idea.
We never had Easter baskets when I was a kid - just a bowl of candy we all shared on the kitchen table. I never felt deprived or left out. And I never had any questions about the meaning of Easter.
Similarly, we didn't celebrate Halloween. I did resent that a little. I didn't see the harm in dressing up and getting a little free candy! I'm pretty sure we'll let Lucy celebrate Halloween (she dressed up last year).
The distinction for me is that Halloween is not a celebration of a Christian holiday. I don't worry about its meaning being skewed or distorted. (Actually I kind of encourage its meaning being lost.) I do worry about the meaning of Easter being adulterated.
Justin doesn't really have an opinion one way or the other about Easter baskets. His only question is the same one I'm sure many of you are thinking as you're reading this: What about Christmas? Am I going to take the commercialization out of Christmas? Ummm, no. We will definitely do stockings and lots of presents and the whole nine yards there. Although we won't do Santa (separate post - haha). So is it a double standard for me to discourage presents on Easter, but encourage them on Christmas?
What do you think? What are you doing with your kids? Am I overthinking this? Haha.
We never had Easter baskets when I was a kid - just a bowl of candy we all shared on the kitchen table. I never felt deprived or left out. And I never had any questions about the meaning of Easter.
Similarly, we didn't celebrate Halloween. I did resent that a little. I didn't see the harm in dressing up and getting a little free candy! I'm pretty sure we'll let Lucy celebrate Halloween (she dressed up last year).
The distinction for me is that Halloween is not a celebration of a Christian holiday. I don't worry about its meaning being skewed or distorted. (Actually I kind of encourage its meaning being lost.) I do worry about the meaning of Easter being adulterated.
Justin doesn't really have an opinion one way or the other about Easter baskets. His only question is the same one I'm sure many of you are thinking as you're reading this: What about Christmas? Am I going to take the commercialization out of Christmas? Ummm, no. We will definitely do stockings and lots of presents and the whole nine yards there. Although we won't do Santa (separate post - haha). So is it a double standard for me to discourage presents on Easter, but encourage them on Christmas?
What do you think? What are you doing with your kids? Am I overthinking this? Haha.
I think you are CRAZY!! I don't see any difference with a bowl of candy or a easter basket filled with candy and/or gifts. Unless you mean you will not do ANYTHING for her! If that is the case she will be getting stuff from her favorite Aunt! Some years my boys get basket's other's it's just is a bowl or bag or set out! We never said "oh look what the Easter bunny brought you" so they never thought anything of it! Except they will get something on Easter! Your a good mom who is gonna explain why they get to get gift/candy.... So enjoy, buy whatever you want to buy her! :) Don't deprive that sweet baby girl!!
ReplyDeleteI have to say Sadie, I do agree with you. I dislike the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus both. I don't display anything Santa at Christmas time. But I think presents are more realistic at Christmas because Jesus was God's gift to us, his people. As well as the remembrance of the Wise men acknowledging Jesus as King with their presents. I like to celebrate Christmas- a lot- with a tree, lights, presents, time with family-but I think those can all be done for the "right" reason, not due to commercialism.
ReplyDeleteI think Easter can be celebrated still with fun and joy. I don't stop family from giving stuff to Annabel, but I don't buy a basket for her. It simply isn't what Easter is about. I remember having an Easter egg hunt at home, but I KNEW even as a child, that this hunt wasn't what Easter was. We did devotions and crafts that focused us on the real meaning of Easter and had some candy thrown in there too. I think the key is to focus ourselves on the Resurrection and Jesus' power and teach that to our kids. Candy on the side is a treat-but not the meaning. Sorry about this novel. gag. haha.
We're doing an Easter egg hunt and such with O. Not going to do the Easter Bunny thing, but I want to give him an Easter basket with goodies when he's a little bigger. For me, as long as you help your kids understand what Easter is really about and incorporate that into the festivities there's no reason not to do all the "fun stuff." However, like you said, I don't think she's going to feel particularly deprived if she doesn't get her own private stash of candy and gifts every year. I guess it comes down to this: show her what's important about Easter, have fun, and I have no doubt it'll turn out great :)
ReplyDelete...we're not doing Santa either :)
I just put together Presley's easter basket today! It's super cute! You know me and holidays! To me, growing up with the Easter Bunny, Santa, etc were all the ways we celebrated Jesus' birth/resurrection...it didn't take away from it, it just made it like a party! We will always celebrate the holidays with Jesus' at the center of them!!! A little commercialism didn't screw up my love for the Lord and the special days we celebrate! :O)
ReplyDeletethe only thing I can think of is don't make Lucy hate Easter because she doesn't get cool stuff and everyone else does. Easter is a huge deal to Christians and I say we celebrate it better than non-Christians!!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah you tell her Luke!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog off of Cara's and so I what I have to say comes from my experiance with my own kids(i have 3 aged 4 and under) and my desire to serve God with these holidays.
ReplyDelete1. Determine your major Goal with each holiday; what do you want to accomplish with your family/how do you want to celebrate/what lesson do you want your kids to learn with each holiday?
2. Know that life outside your house will impact your child/children. Know ahead of time(not to the exact detail) but with a general thought how you are going to handle some situations like Easter Bunny and Santa. Keep in mind you will need to be gentle with these answers because so much of society uses them in the "wrong" way for these holidays.
3. Be some what flexable! Not on your morals or your lessons to be gained by each holiday, but on how you want to celebrate.
4. Listen to others advise, plug it into your family desires and do what you and your husband feel is best for your family. Each family and child is differant and what works for some doesnt always work for others.
I have lived through each of these phases and am and will always be in phase 3 & 4.
Here are some of the things we do to incorporate both societal things and the true meaning to these sacred holidays. Now these ideas fall into lines 3 & 4 and are to be done with as you please. I do believe that as Moms we need new ideas sometimes.
Christmas: We celebrate Jesus' birthday with a birthday party. We have a cake and sing happy birthday. All like a traditional birthday party. Except we get to keep the givets. Mya parents always read the christmas story from the bible before opening gifts, we do not. For us this takes place on Christmas eve, because it is what works best for our family. Now, until this past year, my kids had no idea who Santa was or how he related to Christmas. Then my oldest went to school and he came home telling me all about how Santa comes and leave us presents. So to "apease" him on Christmas morning Santa came and filled their stockings(since I was going to fill them already). Is there anything wrong with that, no? Is he still learning the meaning of Christmas, yes! But I am letting him(and his sisters) have an imagination. I think Santa is ok to use, as long as the true meaning of Christmas is not lost.
Easter, this year I wanted to make as big of a deal out of as Christmas. Because really, which is a better holiday? We as Christians celebrate our king's resurrection, but there wouldn't be a resurrection with out Christmas! They are both in my opinion equally necessary and important in our lives. So began the thought process of figuring out how to pull this one off in a world full of bunnies and eggs. I have a friend that shared with me a receipe for resurrection buns, basically you put Jesus(marshmellow) in the tomb(biscuts) and then when you bake them he is risen when you bite into them! We also did an Easter egg hunt, but in our eggs I put Jelly Beans, red(his blood he shed), green(the grass he made), white(his purity), black(our sins), purple(his hour of sorrow), and pink(hope for a new tomorrow). I have planned to hide the resurrection eggs with them next year, this year we were missing a few pieces. Either way my kids got the Easter Message from me and my husband after the egg hunt using the jelly beans from their eggs. They did also recevie baskets, but they knew they were from me. We did those seperate from the egg hunt and easter story.
Now all the preping and planning can turn into nothing if you are not teaching your child/chilrden about God and His Son through out the year. It is our job as mommies and daddies to teach them of our wonderful father, not just at his birthday and resurrection, but all the time.
I wish you the best as you figure out what is best for family. Figure out what you want and don't turn back, unless God tells you otherwise!