Easter

PMeg819

So for Easter, I didn't put together an Easter basket for DS. DH was appalled at me. He felt he really needed one and he said he was going to do it (he didn't but whatever). But this whole thing gets me- why do we give Easter baskets?

DH and I are not religious. My parents took me to church every Sunday growing up, but come Easter we didn't do a huge production. We got a little basket and did a small egg hunt, but that was it. Last year with DS, we took him to the community park and they had an egg hunt there. THat was it.

I guess I'm baffled by these Easter baskets. What is the point? To get candy? Because we have candy from Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day in the house. If it's to give a present, it just seems so materialistic. I like recieving gifts, but I don't like the idea of inflating a holiday which does have real significance for some and participating in it "just because". I'm actually sort of turned off by the fact that I knew people who spent hundreds of  dollars on Easter basket gifts for their kids and themselves.

GBCK

we did a basket...but I also tried to incorporate an age appropriate lesson on spring/resurection/rebirth into it.

Which didn't work--especially because I'm trying to avoid "look, death is forever...except for ths one guy" as an explanation.  Christmas is a lot easier to make theologically age appropriate.

But I LOVE egg hunts.  the one my parents do for us kids (which will not include Buffy, so she doesn't get trampled) will be next weekend.  It's no holds barred and brutal.

Buffy thought finding eggs was awesome.  She thought presents left by a giant bunny were awesome.  She thought the bunny laying plastic eggs filled with candy eggs (I did not tell her that, she thought it up on her own) was awesome.

I'm annoyed w/ the fact that my child got a huge-ass-basket from my ILs.  My parents gave her the 'typical' basket--basically some candy and 'spring toys'--side walk chalk and buckets for the sand box, etc.  My ILs gave her a ton of junk.  Like a kid-proof video camera (which is to advanced for her), an entire Diego outfit, multiple stuffed animals, etc.

I shrug and am planning a toy cull shortly.  And, actually, the Mr. dropped off a basket's worth of candy at their house yesterday when he took here there because he's tired of the sheer volume of candy at ours.

VarunaTT

I guess most of it is Hallmark peer pressure at this point.  

I'm not religious either and we don't do anything for it.  I went to dinner with my family; I think that's more about mom wanting us to come over for dinner more than anything, we didn't do baskets or cards or anything else.

However, we do use Easter as a reminder for planting times.  Since it's almost always at the end of March, beginning of April, it's a reminder that average final frost date is coming up and stuff can start going outside!  Woohoo!

baconsmom

Hundreds of dollars on an Easter basket? WTF? 

Bacon gets a basket. Because candy. I love candy, she loves candy, H loves candy - CANDY. We don't have any from any previous holiday. We have eaten it all within like 2 weeks of any candy holiday, so. 

But I spent $20 at Walgreen's, and half of that was on big bags of candy so I could eat it. Why would you ever spend more than that? What's the point? 

TheMrsC23

I get the kids clothes for their easter baskets.  

It was money I was going to spend anyway.  

I also put candy and a little something else in there, but mainly they get clothes. 

PMeg819

Yes, I am serious. The mom got some schitty Zales jewelry, Dad got some gun stuff, older daughter got an iPod touch or something, and little bro got a bunch of video games. Plus candy and other little things like gift cards and that. These are also the type of people who go to church at Christmas and Easter and then proceed to act like sh!theads the rest of the year.

Heffalump

I feel like you should be able to do whatever you want.  And if your DH felt that strongly, then he should have, you know, actually done it.

We're completely not religious and we always do baskets for DD.  There's no message, it's just "here's a basket of goodies, yay!"  I made a conscious effort not to get her much candy this year, though, because I'm always throwing it away--at Christmas I throw out the Halloween candy, at Valentine's I throw out the Christmas candy, etc.  But I never felt like the basket was mandatory, it's just fun for us.  If it's not fun for you, then screw it, you know?

See also, why my coworker was surprised that I don't do some elaborate leprechaun trap for DD and then make the house look like a leprechaun has vandalized it or something.  Sounds like a lot of unnecessary work for very little payoff.

VarunaTT

Wait, they all got stuff?  That's weird and the first time I ever heard of that.  Everyone I know gets a basket for the kids and then makes a production out of "stealing" for fun.  And it's candy, not actual stuff.

6fsn

Hundreds?  no way.  I did a little book/toy thing for quiet play ($9), a $5 DVD, socks/underwear, and some candy and change.  We still have candy from Halloween, but whatever.

PMeg819

Yes, they all got stuff.

**O-Face**

I always thought it was nice to get new clothes, nothing crazy, just maybe one outfit. 

dharmabunny

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_easter-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:f539538d-cc6c-4e13-9687-08e757d89abfPost:ba752e10-9202-4085-b06c-4374b510422e">Re: Easter</a>:
[QUOTE]See also, why my coworker was surprised that I don't do some elaborate leprechaun trap for DD and then make the house look like a leprechaun has vandalized it or something.  Sounds like a lot of unnecessary work for very little payoff.
Posted by Heffalump[/QUOTE]

Why work that hard at it.  Just get hammered the traditional IrishAmerican St Patty's day style  and let the "leprechaun vandalizing" happen in its own alcohol-blackout time.  That's multitasking right there.  Or a convenient cover up.  However you need to present it ;)

tawillers

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_easter-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:f539538d-cc6c-4e13-9687-08e757d89abfPost:ba752e10-9202-4085-b06c-4374b510422e">Re: Easter</a>:
[QUOTE]We're completely not religious and we always do baskets for DD.  There's no message, it's just "here's a basket of goodies, yay!"  I made a conscious effort not to get her much candy this year, though, because I'm always throwing it away--at Christmas I throw out the Halloween candy, at Valentine's I throw out the Christmas candy, etc.  But I never felt like the basket was mandatory, it's just fun for us.  If it's not fun for you, then screw it, you know?
Posted by Heffalump[/QUOTE]

Word for word.