Topic: Easter bunny and baskets...what is your tradition.

[aurelia]

So, all you parents out there...what do you do in regards to Easter Bunnies and baskets?  You know I am a one year convert, and we always had the Easter Bunny hide all the eggs we colored for a morning in-the-house hunt (after which they could have the baskets.  The hunt was to buy me time to make breakfast so they didn't get sick on jellybeans too early ).  We use the baskets year to year, sort of like christmas stockings, each kid has one and leaves it out for the bunny to fill.

But now of course we have the Holy Week activities, and the godparents usually deliver small baskets to the kids.  This year we are a week after Western easter, and so yesterday I went looking for stuff for baskets.  I was horrified, grown people acting like animals over half price peeps and all that other stuff. This one man in particular was unbelievably rude to everyone, pushing and shoving to try to see what small things were on the bottom shelves.  (I did manage to find some peeps, and black jellybeans...but those are for me, i love them!)

 And the premade baskets...I know those will be on sale so I was thinking of getting those, if there are any left, ÂÂ then taking them apart to put the stuff in our baskets. I never have before, but $$ is tight, and there are 5 kids (yes the teenager gets a basket too). ÂÂ I've noticed though that since converting that we don't talk much about the bunny...the two oldest know for sure there isn't one, and the 8 year old seems skeptical, and the 4 year olds don't talk about it much, though Mr Will seems to like the concept

I also argue with the hub over candy.  When he was a kid Easter and Halloween were the two big times of year that they got candy, so he likes to pile it in.  Our kids certainly aren't so "deprived" as he was, so I tend to take a "honey, you really want them bouncing off the walls at 7 in the morning?" approach.  What sorts of things do you do and what sorts of items are essential to you and yours? And do you get things for the godparents? I like to do stuff like that, so we're going to make little flower pots with pansies or african violets or something and give them this year.  Very festive and springie!

Oh as a note, this is just supposed to be fun what do YOU do post, not an opportunity to bash the bunny.  I know I make sure my kids are well aware of what Easter is really all about, we've been talking about it a lot. But we enjoy the baskets, and so I was curious to see what other families do. ÂÂ

edit: oh yeah I forgot to add my essentials list!

yellow chicken peeps (if possible)
jelly beans
peanut butter eggs (hub, i think they are gross)
chocolate eggs
a small stuffie...I love the dollar store
some other small thing, a hot wheel car, a small something or other I know they have been eyeing, crayons or something like that, or a jump rope, sidewalk chalk...something to do outside.

[FrChris]

Well, my family does pretty much the same thing yours does! All except the youngest are pretty sure there really isn't an Easter Bunny (or Pascha Bunny) but they all want some of the candy that's available.

Each kid and parent has one basket that gets re-used. The baskets are hidden in the house and the kids look for them prior to the Agape service. Yes, this makes for a late night after the Resurrection, scribing crosses on door frames, eating meat, re-igniting the pilot lights, etc. as well as assembling the baskets and hiding them.

There always is some candy in the baskets, but we also try to give the kid something permanent: a book or icon, a toy, etc. I don't know what'll happen this year, but maybe next year we can indulge the kids.

Phone calls with the Greek relatives are exchanged, although I just helped the youngest last night write a letter to her godparents.

Our candies are pretty much like yours...except for the peeps. I despise them (marshmallows in general are not for me, just ask any other HCHC poster here about some of my 'food quirks'). The boys mainly like them because they melt and burn in such a cool way when exposed to flame  , but that's about all that's good about them.

[aurelia]

I only like stale peeps.  My son likes to lick the sugar off of his.  But it just isn't Easter without them!

[Kizzy]

Peeps rule!!!.. so do chocolate bunnies &eggs... and yes. we do baskets & a small gift.

The kids even get them in Sunday School.
in XC, kizzy

[Pravoslavbob]

Oh as a note, this is just supposed to be fun what do YOU do post, not an opportunity to bash the bunny.  

NEVER pass up a good chance to bash the bunny.  

I hope you don't give Beans any chocolate.      He's too big anyways, and besides, chocolate is toxic to cats.

[Asteriktos]

So, all you parents out there...what do you do in regards to Easter Bunnies and baskets?

Too much fat! God with a basket of exotic foods that aren't normally in the house. But it would have to be something they would actually like, not some squid on ice or something like that

[aurelia]

No, Beans managed that on pure crunchy cat food alone.  He won't eat table scraps, or anything from a can, not even tuna  and only eats the odd bug here and there.  He was just very good as a little kitten at convincing all the kids that he hadn't been fed yet, and he isnt very playful either.  11.5 pounds of fat pampered cat. But boy can he purr!

And that's too bad...I was thinking of trying some nice squid on ice in the basket this year...or in a plastic egg.  LOL!!!!

[Jeni]

My youngest is 5 and I just told her that I am the easter bunny.  She doesn't seem to care who brings candy.  It is still a suprise and it is still fun.  I put some candy our basket to be blessed at church along with our other foods fasted from. Her and the other 6 kids all got little bags of candy from me - even my 19 year old.  

[Elisha]

No, Beans managed that on pure crunchy cat food alone.  He won't eat table scraps, or anything from a can, not even tuna  and only eats the odd bug here and there.  He was just very good as a little kitten at convincing all the kids that he hadn't been fed yet, and he isnt very playful either.  11.5 pounds of fat pampered cat. But boy can he purr!

I have falafel - the chubby Orange (male) tabby housecat.  But Falafel is probably close to 15 pounds.  I'm good about just feeding him dry food (Science Diet though) with the occasionaly kitty treat or other human food (he'll eat walnuts, cracker/chips, salmon and other stuff).

[Thomas]

We  always made up our children's baskets with goodies not allowed during Great Lent and included small gifts a music CD, a christian DVD, etc.  Now with the grandchildren we do the same.  They all know its us from the earliest date they can remember.  We dye the eggs together only now their parents (our children ) are hiding the eggs at our annual family picnic after the Agape service.

have a Blessed Pascha,
Thomas

[Pravoslavbob]

I have falafel - the chubby Orange (male) tabby housecat.  But Falafel is probably close to 15 pounds.  I'm good about just feeding him dry food (Science Diet though) with the occasionaly kitty treat or other human food (he'll eat walnuts, cracker/chips, salmon and other stuff).

What a great name for an orange cat!    He eats walnuts and crackers?  That's pretty bizarre!  

[Pravoslavbob]

No, Beans managed that on pure crunchy cat food alone.  He won't eat table scraps, or anything from a can, not even tuna   and only eats the odd bug here and there.  He was just very good as a little kitten at convincing all the kids that he hadn't been fed yet, and he isnt very playful either.  11.5 pounds of fat pampered cat. But boy can he purr!

And that's too bad...I was thinking of trying some nice squid on ice in the basket this year...or in a plastic egg.  LOL!!!!

Wow.....a cat that doesn't like tuna.....weird!  My cat used to love to eat hapless insects she found in the house.  I theorized at the time that it must be kind of a parallel to the human love of shrimp and lobster.

[Elisha]

What a great name for an orange cat! ÂÂ   ÂÂ He eats walnuts and crackers? ÂÂ That's pretty bizarre! ÂÂ

His older brother (prior litter from same mom) is named "waffles" (because that is what he might look like if he was run over) and owned by the Rector's family.  Mom cat belongs to the former choir director who moved away <1 year ago and my cat's sister (littermate - a female calico) is owned by another choir member who lives next door to the church.  I think Falefel just eats most edible things since he's a fat male cat (yes, female cats can be lazy pigs too).

[Pravoslavbob]

Hmmm.  Apostolic succession in the cat world.  

[pensateomnia]

My family has owned many fat cats over the years, including Toggle, who, at his prime, came in at 22.5 pounds (he is very tall and long), and one named Special Man (I named him when I was about seven), who would eat absolutely ANYTHING.

This came in handy several times when, as a young boy, I decided over a period of weeks to see how much salt I could put on my food and still manage to eat. Special Man came to the rescue after several such experiments gone terribly wrong, particularly after one experiment in which I poured a whole shaker's worth of salt on a plate of macaroni and cheese. I slipped the offensive stuff under the table as my babysitter walked into the other room, and my plate was clean before she came back.

Thanks, Special Man.

[Pravoslavbob]

Poor Special Man.    He saved your bacon, so to speak, and drove his blood pressure through the roof!  

[aurelia]

(yes, female cats can be lazy pigs too).

Wait til I dig out a pic of my old cat Jasmine...omg. She was gi-normous! And mean, too, she didn't like anyone but me. She'd eat chicken, but only white meat, fried, from a certain corner store. Not home cooked, not from KFC. The vet told us (when i had Gwynhwyfar the almost wild cat that ate carrots and Percy, who ate bread) that it is normal for them to vary their diets.  

Hey, lets start a family pets thread, what say you? with links to pics? I love to see other foks' pets,and my kids like to also. Maybe over in the Other board? Oh, and I love the names I'm seeing here.

[Bishop Paul Andrew]

My family has owned many fat cats over the years, including Toggle, who, at his prime, came in at 22.5 pounds (he is very tall and long), and one named Special Man (I named him when I was about seven), who would eat absolutely ANYTHING.

This came in handy several times when, as a young boy, I decided over a period of weeks to see how much salt I could put on my food and still manage to eat. Special Man came to the rescue after several such experiments gone terribly wrong, particularly after one experiment in which I poured a whole shaker's worth of salt on a plate of macaroni and cheese. I slipped the offensive stuff under the table as my babysitter walked into the other room, and my plate was clean before she came back.

Thanks, Special Man.

Coming from a baptist back ground and being the only convert in my Family.I really could not understand what the E.Bunny has to do with EASTER or as we call it Holy Pasca in The Orthodox Church. I always thought it was about Christ rising from the Dead

[GiC]

Coming from a baptist back ground and being the only convert in my Family.I really could not understand what the E.Bunny has to do with EASTER or as we call it Holy Pasca in The Orthodox Church. I always thought it was about Christ rising from the Dead

Easter is a Spring Fertility Celebration that was usurped by the Christians. The rabbit should be self-evident considering what prolific breeders they are.

[Nacho]

Coming from a baptist back ground and being the only convert in my Family.I really could not understand what the E.Bunny has to do with EASTER or as we call it Holy Pasca in The Orthodox Church. I always thought it was about Christ rising from the Dead

Sounds like something straight out of the Jehovah's Witness playbook. So now we have to strip people and children any enjoyment over the Easter Holiday. Yea, lets make things as boring as possible because we all know the Easter bunny is a communistic plot and possibly may be in league with satan...

[barb-02]

well, since we are converts too just a few years we had to figure out a way to do easter and pascha. growing up (with no religion whatsoever) my parents made a big deal about all holidays, but it was the traditional american-commercialized way. SOOOOOO my daughter already thought the easter bunny came and all her friends talk too so we had to figure out something. we do give the kids a small basket or something spring related (one year she got a flower pot with seeds and my son got a new glove with balls) from the bunny. that way when easter and pascha fall on different days they don't feel so left out. i always stress that easter JUST means spring is coming. nothing more. but Pascha is when Jesus rose from the dead. anyhow then on Pascha we get out the good baskets! i get them chocolates and all the good stuff and usually a small non candy gift. we leave for midnight service, after they are outside i put the baskets on the table with fresh flowers and a resurrection icon. that way when we come home everything is there and they are excited. we typically don't get to bed until 3 or 4 but we put signs on the doors for the neighbors to not bother us so we can sleep in and take the phone off the hook too! LOL we have a great time that night. we get home late, they tear apart baskets, we sit and eat food i prepared earlier, relax, get ready for bed and sleep in LATE!!!!!! the kids think that night is one of the highlights of the whole year- to be able to go to church in the middle of the night is awesome for them! LOL

edit- the plan is though when they all realize there's no bunny we can stop the easter stuff and just focus on Pascha fully.