“But what about Easter?” Little Brother asked, when he realized that the timing of our trip to Taiwan.
I explained to him the majority of people in Asia aren’t Christian and don’t celebrate Easter.
“Of course, if you want to celebrate, maybe we can find a church to go to on Easter Sunday,” I suggested, just to see how he would react.
“No, that’s okay. I mean, we don’t hunt for eggs at church!” he answered. Just hand over the Peeps and the Cadbury’s, lady. I wanted to get into a conversation about there’s the Easter that’s based on the Bible and the Easter that’s based on early European vernal equinox traditions, and that in other countries Christianity is more like the kind in the Bible and less like the kind in the Hallmark store. But I bit my tongue.
“Well, maybe we can just have Easter when we get back,” he mused. “Like maybe we can ask the Easter Bunny to drop off our baskets and hide eggs around our house when we’re gone, and we can find them when we get home.”
Right. The Easter Bunny will do all that. I’m pretty sure this kid is milking all these holiday fantasy figures for all they’re worth. After all, he is eight years old, and I know those kids talk. Like Santa Claus and leprechauns, the Easter Bunny is something I tolerate, but I don’t go to great lengths to perpetuate the illusions. It seems like this year would be the perfect time to let the Easter Bunny just quietly go away.
It would be so easy.
Then I found myself in the candy aisle at Target over the weekend, surrounded by jelly beans, copious amounts of chocolate and some unholy hybrids, such as Darth Vader with bunny ears.
Who IS my father, anyway?
All the more reason I am glad to be having Easter in Asia this year.
But I have a confession: I complain and act like I am above this materialistic frenzy, but — especially as my kids get older — there is something I can’t resist about chocolate wrapped in shiny wrappers. I grabbed a bag of pastel Reese’s peanut butter cups and some fake grass. It would be so easy to toss some in the suitcase and watch Little Brother’s eyes light up on Sunday.
Easter Bunny, you’re safe — this year.
My mom was so against sweets, she would put coins and dollar bills in our eggs as kids, to go into our savings. Only now do I know how cool that is. (As a poor college kid in the workplace, I could do with some Easter eggs)
Then again, “Santa” still brings things in our stockings in addition to the gifts we exchange, and if we happen to not be at work on Easter and she can find the eggs in storage, she will still play the Easter Bunny (sometimes I think just to chuckle at us).
And we aren’t religious, I think my mom just likes celebrating holidays even with two grown children. It’s not particularly materialistic when “Santa” brings you new panties and a LED flashlight, but it’s a good way for us to sneak in small presents to each other, in the true spirit of giving, rather than expecting thanks or keeping score.
That’s so cute. I think I understand where your mother was coming from. As a idealistic young mom, I didn’t give my kids candy for holidays for years – they were happy with Cheerios and goldfish in plastic eggs! But I must be getting soft with age ;)