Q: Did You Tell Your Kids There Was An Easter Bunny?
A: We chose not to tell our kids that the Easter bunny was real.
Why? Early on, we decided that we would not tell our children things that weren’t true. We never condemned anyone who chose otherwise, but so much of the Bible is supernatural and I didn’t want to confuse my kids with truth and fiction. (“So, now you’re saying the Easter Bunny isn’t real, but you still say Jonah in the belly of the whale really is real??” )
We explained to our children that other people played the “Easter bunny game”, but we instead wanted to focus on Jesus and his resurrection, which is what Easter is really all about; that was the focus of our reading, teaching, and crafts during the Easter season.
As the children grew older, we began one year hiding Easter candy in our little patch of woods and letting them go on a hunt to find it, but they knew Mom and Dad bought and hid the candy, not the Easter bunny.
It has become a tradition. The kids would wait in the house while Mom and Dad went out to hide the candy. When we get back, they are all waiting with bags to go begin the hunt.
After everyone finds all that they can, we come back to the house and the kids usually swap with each other for the candy they like best. We also have everyone give some of what they gathered to the little guys who aren’t so fast. We’ve continued this tradition now with some of our grandkids too.
We often have a college student up for Easter who is away from home and needs a family to celebrate with, and they participate in the hunt with us as well as dinner and the reading of the Easter story from the Bible.
So, yes, we do have some fun on Easter. However, we also are very intentional in making the focus of that day all about the resurrection of Jesus. Christ’s resurrection is of such importance to a Christian! It is worthy of happy celebration! That is what I want my kids to think about when they anticipate this special day.
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We told our children that the Easter Bunny was a symbol of spring & Easter is about the Resurrection. How amazing it is that we celebrate both the beginning of springtime (not the ‘1st day of spring’; the 1st day of spring is not very ‘spring-like’ here in New England!) & Easter the same day every year! Both celebrate new life.
Hey, good to find somonee who agrees with me. GMTA.