We celebrate pretty much everything about Easter except its actual meaning, and I was just thinking earlier that I’m not sure why we limit our agnostic holiday cherrypicking to the traditional Christian ones when there’s an entire world culture out there we could be adapting to suit our own chocolate-coated purposes. I mean, why must we be limited to one season of Cadbury caramel eggs? I ASK YOU.

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This was the first year we colored eggs with the kids and aside from the predictable giant mess of stains and reeking vinegar everywhere it was a lot of fun. Also fun: eating an entire plate of deviled eggs later. (Less fun: the eggfarts. My GOD, the eggfarts.)

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We hid plastic eggs, each filled with some M&Ms and a clue for finding the next egg, which eventually led the boys to their baskets.

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This was the second year I stuffed that duck/bunny in a basket, and the second year they both eyed it suspiciously and asked me to put it away. What the HELL. It’s not a MUTANT, it’s a DUCK wearing BUNNY EARS. I am going to trot that thing out EVERY GODDAMNED YEAR until someone acknowledges its CUTENESS.

So basically the Easter bunny came down the chimney and laid eggs . . . which we dyed . . . and something something M&Ms . . . okay, we were maybe a little shaky on the whole concept this year (I find, say, Santa much easier to describe) but I think everyone had a good time, especially since candy was involved.

How was your day, holiday or otherwise?

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Alina
14 years ago

I made lasagna. It was delicious.

My mom used to hide our baskets…your little treasure hunt made me go “awwwwww…”

kalisa
14 years ago

My son is 16. He & his dad mowed the lawn & I did laundry. Happy Sunday.

Then again, when you give up the whole holiday-morning facade, you can buy & eat Easter candy the entire month leading up to it.

Victoria
14 years ago

My day was mixed, but I’m glad you had a great one :)

Trina
Trina
14 years ago

I am going to unload sorry. My Easter was totally awesome until we got to my parents house.

We hid the kid’s Easter baskets and left treasure maps for them. We used invisible ink on the older one’s map which she thought was sooooo cool.

Got to my parents house and my a-hole brother was in rare a-hole form and totally ruined the rest of my day. I have had it with him and there isn’t much I can do about it. He won’t listen when you try to talk to him and I can’t not do holidays with my parents because it isn’t fair to them or my kids. Sometimes family SUCKS.

Kate
14 years ago

The Easter Bunny hid the kids’ baskets and left about a dozen little rhyming riddles to lead them place to place, through the house, until finally they found their baskets. Then there was a flurry of screams and flying candy wrappers and it was done.

I made bunny shaped pancakes with rotten buttermilk, which we promptly threw in the garbage. So breakfast was just cantaloupe and sausage.

And then Hubby mowed the lawn and I made cookies and chicken chili and then went to work.

The End.

ElizabethZ
ElizabethZ
14 years ago

I too found the explanation of all that is Easter Bunny quite difficult this year for the 4 year olds….with all that our preschoolers are exposed to….I find it ridiculous for ME to believe that they can possibly even buy into a giant bunny creeping in the night and hiding our colored eggs. Basically the presents/baskets come from us and the EB, he hides the eggs. They bought that, I think. I think this particular illusion will die long before Santa ever does. It is so easy to make Santa magical yet believable, the EB? Not so much.

angelynn
14 years ago

It was the first Easter I’ve spent with my mom since I lived at home (I think). She and her boyfriend spent the entire weekend. My husband and I have been especially broke lately so I didn’t get baskets for our 2 & 4yo boys (they don’t mind anyway). At one point I asked my mom if she ‘did Easter’ to see if I needed to do anything fancy for dinner. Her reply was ‘oh, God no. Ron and I don’t do Easter either.’ Today was actually the best Easter I’ve ever had.

Jennifer
Jennifer
14 years ago

Traveled down to Edmonds for sister’s Easter brunch/dinner feast which was awesome (she could give Martha Stewart lessons). Our assignment was to bring dessert so we did angel food cakes FROM SCRATCH and glazed them with chocolate ganache… it was great.

Wumi
Wumi
14 years ago

For me easter is always a period of celebration. It reminds me of the period i was borne in to this beautiful world. My birth day was 4th of April, i could not celebrat with parent because i’m in school.

NancyJ
NancyJ
14 years ago

Even with a 19 year old we still decorate eggs (Friday night) and I still make up baskets for all three of us including a little gift for each.
We had our traditional Polish Easter with family that included kielbasa, ham, pierogis, horseradish, babka.
Bittersweeet however as my dad had passed away the Sunday before and we buried him on Wednesday and my mother had passed away on the 4th 23 years earlier! But it was still a good day of food and laughter.

Liz
Liz
14 years ago

I spent Easter brunch with my Jewish mother in law. She put a bagel in the middle of a plate of matzo bread and said “Look – just like your Christ, your bread has risen”
Snerk.

Eric's Mommy
Eric's Mommy
14 years ago

I was going to ask you about Mr. DuckRabbit making another appearance, too funny!

I love the treasure hunt idea, I think I will try that next year! So much better than the usual egg hiding we do.

We had beautiful weather yesterday and got to spend some time outside at the Husband’s Aunt and Uncle’s house on a lake. Very nice.

vickey
vickey
14 years ago

HAHAHA. We were talking about this. Husband was catholic, me nothing. I joked we should hide our son’s basket in a cave & have him slide a rock aside to find it. You know – to at least teach him something. Or other.

We didn’t even talk about it with him, because the religious aspect of this holiday is such a tough concept to grasp. Parenting opportunity missed!

Callie
14 years ago

Our Easter was fabulous until last night when the kid who rarely eats candy was either coming down off his sugar high or suffering from a raging bellyache or was posessed by demons or something of the sort. I was thisclose to putting him out on the porch and hoping a nice family came by to take him. But then this morning he finally began pronouncing “mama” correctly so what can you do?

JudithinNYC
JudithinNYC
14 years ago

Sadly, I have given up Cadbury eggs, which I used to eat by the score. I resemble my grandma more and more with each passing year and I refuse to pay $4.99 for three or four eggs, which come to think of it is not so bad. Bye, I’m running off to Duane-Reade to buy some!!! (Maybe…)

Melody
14 years ago

My sister and I also came to the realization that we were limiting our secular holiday celebrations to Christian holidays, so we decided to start (secularly) celebrating Hanukkah in addition to Christmas. Fried potatoes and chocolate coins! You can’t go wrong with adding that to the holiday season!

twojams (Shannon)
twojams (Shannon)
14 years ago

I love egg-dyeing, even though it is messy, and a pain to get set up! And it’s over so quickly. My kids grab all the eggs and dye them one color, and that’s pretty much it. It totally messes with all my artistic ambitions. (Side note: I like those bowls you used – they are probably much better than the cups we had.)

I LOVE the duck-bunny.

H
H
14 years ago

Ours was sad, due to a very recent death in the family, but we tried to lift our spirits and were somewhat-to-mostly successful, depending on who you ask. We didn’t do anything that required planning or activities beforehand but we did have a nice meal and played some Wii games.

annie
annie
14 years ago

My kids had a great Easter. The Bunny left baby-powder footprints and ate his carrot. Kids learned about Jesus. All Good. Me, on the otherhand, got in a huge ass fight with husband on the way to his mom’s and spent the day sleeping/crying alone at my house. Not as bad as it sounds actually… enjoyed the alone part.

I’m Christian and love all our holidays. However, one of my favorite holidays is a Chinese one! Brother and Sister Day. The brother recites a poem to his sister about how he will always love and take care of her, and then she gives him a little gift of thanks in return.

Redbecca
Redbecca
14 years ago

We don’t celebrate it at all, really. Kiddo got his token Easter present last week – a cute stuffed chicken doll he runs around with, squeaking “Peep Peep Peep” in that ear-aching pitch toddlers have. I bought 3 smallish dark chocolate bunnies for me, hubby and MIL, and I think she got some yellow jelly beans. Not even any baskets. Oh, we did bring in some fresh-cut flowers from the garden – we hardly ever do that because we have stupid cats. We had BLTs, fruit salad, and chocolate pecan pie for lunch. After that it was yard work and keeping the kiddo from committing an act of Darwinism. You know, a typical nice-weather Sunday (except for that pie part. Yum!). Neither of us are particularly religious, having both decided in our teens that except for the morals part (be nice to others, etc.) its all a bunch of bunk.
My weakness is Cadbury mini-eggs. OMG I could an entire bag in one sitting without thinking. I usually eat so many in the month leading up to Easter I am sick of them by the time the actual holiday rolls around.

Christine
14 years ago

It totally failed to register with me that a mythical being called the Easter Bunny was meant to have hidden the eggs the kids were collecting at their various egg hunts. Luckily, I didn’t say anything incriminating, and they didn’t care anyway.

We had a nice Easter: IKEA breakfast, friends, kids, food, drink. Merry.

Amy
Amy
14 years ago

I found myself explaining that the Easter Bunny *likes* children but is just extremely shy, so only appears while they are sleeping. Also, when asked where the Easter Bunny lives, I inexplicably replied “Florida, I think.” The hell?

Shari
Shari
14 years ago

My husband devised a very elaborate bunny trap with our 2 year old to capture the Easter Bunny. Unfortunately, he just ate the carrot and left a nice note and a few hidden eggs. With mini boxes of raisins, the kid doesn’t even LIKE chocolate. Geez.

maggie
14 years ago

We had a great Easter with wonderful friends, family and food. We are agnostic/atheist/whatever and we tell the kids Easter is the celebration of new life. Spring is coming, the Earth is reborn and the eggs symbolize new life. As for the bunny, ummm not sure what his/her significance is, but they don’t seem to care, so we just go with it.

Ris
Ris
14 years ago

When I was little we did the whole Easter minus the Jesus thing. Sounds a lot like yours. I have fond memories of it.

Erika
Erika
14 years ago

I missed church as it was at 6:30am. We went to my grandmother’s for lunch and then I came home to cook my own meal as hers left LOTS to be desired. I have specific things that I have to eat for just about all holidays, Christian or not. I must have ham and cornbread dressing on Easter. She had ham but no dressing. I came home, cooked greens, dressing, and baked chicken. It was sooo good. My kids already know about Jesus and we always have our annual Easter presentation on Palm Sunday because our Pastor (who happens to be my husband’s cousin) knows that the kids probably won’t be awake enough to perform at a sunrise service. :)

warcrygirl
14 years ago

We do celebrate the Christian aspect of Easter so it was easy blowing off the BS of the Easter Bunny. My boys stopped believing in the Easter Bunny years ago (on their own) so since they now know it’s me who does their baskets I just fill them and put them at the foot of their bed. Of course, next year I’m totally doing the ‘hunt for your basket’ routine. Why make candy for breakfast easy? Sadly, Jr and I caught a virus on Wednesday and were still out of sorts on Sunday morning so it was pretty much lay on the couch, watch tv and shove jelly beans into our gaping maws.

Fiona
Fiona
14 years ago

The Easter Bunny isn’t a British thing (thankfully imo, as I can’t really be bothered with Santa either, if I’m honest). We four cycled out to a local farm where they do yummy coffee and cakes, rolled painted eggs on way back, patted some horses and then I went on my first run, inspired by you and accompanied by my son, who yapped the whole way round the hill as I contemplated whether a 12 year old would be able to administer CPR to his ailing mother if necessary. You have to start somewhere, yes?

Happy Easter!

Christina
14 years ago

I told the older one that the Easter Bunny is magical and that is how he does things that other bunnies cannot. This seemed to sit well with him. It also explained how the bunny got all of the plastic eggs down off the top of kitchen cabinets from being decorations to being hidden with money and jelly beans all around the house. I LOVE the idea of hiding the baskets but I doubt I will ever be THAT prepared for this holiday.

We had a great morning even though we were UP BEFORE THE EFFING SUN. Like you, we cherry pick the best parts of Easter and leave all the rest behind. Other than the morning candy/egg hunting festivities, we hung out in the sunshine and I ran 10 miles, hubby ran 7 miles and we grilled out. WOO HOO spring is here!

wealhtheow
14 years ago

3 words: Chocolate. Seder. Plate.

tara
14 years ago

the mutant duck bunny is adorable. i acknowledge its cuteness.

C @ Kid Things
C @ Kid Things
14 years ago

We don’t celebrate the meaning, either. It’s all toys and chocolate and food and more chocolate over here.

Scatteredmom
14 years ago

I totally grew up with the whole meaning of Easter drilled into me enough for all three of us, so we don’t celebrate that either. Jake is 14 and not into dying eggs (just eating them), so today we’re having a shrimp/crab quiche, salad, buns, etc. No dessert because we have enough Easter chocolate to last us for months.

I do buy him Easter candy and scatter it around the house, complimenting it this year with some cold hard cash as well.

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

Lol. Yes, Easter is a bit more challenging. My 4yo was asking where the Easter Bunny lives. And how does he get in the house. I went with Iceland and magic, probably not the best answers I could have come up with. I think any holiday that brings Cadbury Cream Eggs rocks.

gertie
gertie
14 years ago

I was shocked to learn that my 3 year old knew the ALL the traditions of secular Easter, from “now the Easter bunny will come and took our eggs and we will find them and put them in baskets” to “and I will get a big chocolate bunny and bite off its ears!” I hadn’t planned on this level of knowledge, but apparently her daycare provider spent an entire week bringing the kids up to speed. How’s that for world culture?

Stephanie
Stephanie
14 years ago

We have that duck/bunny too! Easter was great. Dyed eggs with the 4 year old on Sat. Sun she woke up and I really think she was more excited about the Easter bunny bringing her Princess and the Frog underwear than she was about Santa. Spent the day with family, just hanging around and eating chocolate, ham and every type of mayo-based food known (and unknown) to mankind.

Alley
Alley
14 years ago

Neither of us is Christian, though we were both brought up that way, so we’re used to celebrating the holiday. Besides, in such a pervasively Christian society where you couldn’t avoid Easter candy and bunnies if you tried, might as well take advantage of it. We use the more pagan reasoning behind Easter to celebrate over here: Spring’s coming! It’s getting warmer (and after the snowstorms we got this winter, that’s totally something worth celebrating)! Stuff’s growing again! Soon there will be fresh vegetables in the garden! Nature’s cool!

Yeah, so to celebrate, we had pina coladas, Jamaican jerk burgers, and Cadbury eggs. Why, yes, we ARE ready for warm weather!

lisa
lisa
14 years ago

i am now going to immediately look up recipes for jamaican jerk burgers. sounds delicious, thanks Alley.

Sounds like you guys had a great day, and the duck/bunny is quite adorable. Our easter contains tons of homecooked food, mamosa’s, and family. Thats about it…but all in all a great time.

Mandy
Mandy
14 years ago

I had the brilliant idea of putting my son’s Easter basket in the doorway of his room, so he’d see it when he woke up. I envisioned him excitedly briging it to our bed where we’d all ooh and aah over the contents. Instead I get woken up at 2:30 AM by a voice yelling out: Mama, there’s something in my room! Can you get it? I think it’s coming to get me!” Memorable, but not quite in the way I was anticipating.

victoria
victoria
14 years ago

We went to the tulip festival in Skagit County. It was really nice, but cold & windy.

You know how you wrote that as far as marathons go, you’re “one and done”? I bet that you’ll sign up for a Team In Training marathon by this time next year.

victoria
victoria
14 years ago

Oh, wait. Sorry. That comment might have sounded arrogant — as though I think I know you better than you do. Of course I don’t have any idea what next year will look like for you. (I often think “Teamm in Training would be PERFECT for Linda!” but what do I know.)

Good luck on your final long run[s] and on May 2.

suzr
14 years ago

I celebrate Easter by buying half price candy on Monday (Butterfinger mini-eggs! yum!).
If you haven’t see the South Park Easter episode from a year or two ago you must find it! They explain, in their South Park way, the meaning behind the traditions of the easter bunny and egg dyeing. HYS-terical!
BTW – I love the hunting for the baskets idea and the duck-bunny is cute as heck!

KKF
KKF
14 years ago

Easter explanation I use:
(and this is from a dyed-in-the-shell pagan!)
Easter is about Jesus coming back from the dead. And everyone is so happy about it that seeds begin to sprout and the world turns into springtime.
( pick up here if you’r not doing the Jesus thing…) Easter is about spring. The weather warms up, and bunnies come out to play, and birds start laying eggs, and chocolate goes on wicked good sales, and the whole world is so happy about it that it turns into spring.
(stop here for the PG set….)
It’s easter! It’s springtime and we celebrate by knocking boots and eating candy! Yay Jesus!

.303 Bookworm
.303 Bookworm
14 years ago

@KKF et all. Good idea, except that here in New Zealand it’s Autumn (Fall to you US folk). So that’s out. For us it was an easter egg hunt which was over waaaaayy to quickly (going to get seriously tough on the clues next year) and spending the weeks leading up to Easter eating my own body weight in chocolate and hot cross buns. mmmmm buns! Stocking up on bodyfat in preparation for hibernating? Oh wait, that’s bears, not rabbits. Darn it.

Antropologa
14 years ago

I am unfamiliar with this version where the Easter Bunny comes to your house. That’s very weird to me; you guys are getting this confused with Santa! It was always clear my mother had put together my Easter basket!

Amy
Amy
14 years ago

We had a horrible day Sunday.. but we don’t have any kids and we don’t celebrate Easter, so meh.. it was just another crappy day. At least all the candy is on sale now.

KKF
KKF
14 years ago

Woo! Giant Chocolate Bears! GREAT IDEA!

Leah
14 years ago

Egg-full and Jesus-free, just like we like it. Save for a few hair-tearing moments of the MIL DOIN IT WRONG, it was a good one.

Sharri
Sharri
14 years ago

I find the book, The Story of the Easter Bunny by Katherine Tegen, a good non-religious story about the Easter bunny. Our “bunny” leaves a small basket with a chocolate bunny in it and then I get my son another basket with other little treats. It’s actually a little fun.

veralynn
14 years ago

My boyfriend flew us down to my sister’s for sunny deck-chatting and dinner with my family. There were deviled eggs and white chocolate cheesecake, though no chocolate eggs. Still, a winner!