For Those That Don't "Do" Santa...do You Do the Easter Bunny?

Updated on April 04, 2012
N.L. asks from Tampa, FL
11 answers

My hubby and I are still debating the Santa topic (older daughter wasn't really old enough to get it this past Christmas so we have to decide something this year!), but now I'm wondering if we should/should not do the Easter bunny. It really wasn't a big deal at either of our households growing up. so we both have mixed feelings about it.

We're pretty familiar with the arguments both FOR and AGAINST Santa. I figure a lot of it applies to the Easter bunny as well. But, for those of you that don't do Santa, do you do the Easter bunny? Why or why not?

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So What Happened?

Thanks all. We're planning on dyeing some eggs and doing an egg hunt (sans bunny references) just to give her something to do. :) I was just wondering how other mamas and papas dealt with Easter if they didn't do Santa. My husband and I both grew up in church, so Easter does have religious meaning for us. We just haven't decided on how (if at all) the non-religious aspects would fit into the childhood we'd like for our girls to have. Looking forward to having some fun with our older daughter this weekend! (although I'm not sure if she'll "get" the idea of an egg hunt yet!) and then sharing our religious beliefs with her....

Featured Answers

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

We do not "do" either, but I also do not stop him from partaking in family traditions that do center around these "charachters." Mostly it's my In-laws that celebrate these things with out question and they know that I am not all that into it, I do not put stock into Santa or the Easter Bunny beyond that of marketing. In another post I shared how I explain Easter to my son for now. I think it, like christmas is a religious based holiday and I feel that I am minimalizing the meaning behind it for religious folk to understand and recognize Easter for what it is by hiding eggs and talking about a made up bunny who hides them. I do not understand the tradition and apparently no one else that I have posed the question to does either so my mind will not change on this one (yet).

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M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

We do both because kids are only kids once.

6 moms found this helpful
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E.S.

answers from Boston on

Hi! We do Santa but not the Easter bunny. I never understood the bunny thing and all the gifts it seems to bring now, which it certainly didn't when I was little. My kids will get a Perugina egg as they always have. I can make a case for Santa though. Santa is God's helper who gives gifts as God gave us a gift at Christmas. In turn we all help Santa by giving gifts as well. We have the best gift here, love, so we choose to help Santa mostly by helping others. My kids (16 and 19) will tell you Santa is real because he's helped us out a few times. And they have seen what good has come by being Santa.

1 mom found this helpful

B.B.

answers from Dallas on

We do Both. My kids are 3 and 4

1 mom found this helpful

J.S.

answers from Jacksonville on

When we were kids we never believed in Santa but oddly enough mom did the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny...kinda. My grandparents used to come over at night and leave an Easter basket on the porch, so when we woke up we would find them.

Her reason for not doing Santa was that we were always pretty poor growing up. She felt that if she couldn't give us everything we wanted on our list then we would feel like we were bad.

Since there were no stipulation or wish lists the Easter bunny got the stamp of approval. However, she did tell us when we were pretty young that it was my grandparents leaving the baskets. I think we believed for like a year or two. Mom was a bit weird.

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K.L.

answers from Savannah on

We do both, but if someone doesn't do Santa, it makes sense to not do the Easter bunny. With that said, even if you chose to not do the Easter bunny, you can still have some fun! I would still dye eggs and then hide them around the house or yard. Then the kiddos can have fun looking around for them. We took my 16 month old to an egg hunt this past Saturday and he had a great time picking up the plastic eggs and placing them in the basket. No bunny involved! Have fun this Easter!

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E.T.

answers from Albuquerque on

We do have Santa at Christmas (but just a very low-key celebration: he brings one present per child). But no Easter Bunny. To me, that's just way too made up and has no relevance to either the actual holiday that Christians celebrate, or the season. We're not Christian so it's easy to skip Easter and the silly bunny.

☼.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

We do Santa, but not the Easter bunny. I've just never felt comfortable pretending that a huge furbee bunny delivers Easter baskets :)
It's hard enough explaining Santa!

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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

Given the option to do something fun or enjoyable with my kids while they're little, I choose to do the fun stuff! AND the bunny and eggs do symbolize spring and rebirth -and are far older symbols used this time of year than anything else.

I just will never understand, if you're not of a religion that doesn't celebrate that holiday, why you wouldn't want to give your kids a fun experience and experience their joy over it. You don't have to go crazy or spend a ton of money -just a chocolate bunny and some Play-Doh and sidewalk chalk is usually exciting if it comes from the Easter Bunny! Trust me, your kids are going to grow up and experience all the harsh reality of life soon enough -let them enjoy some magic while they can!

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A.C.

answers from Atlanta on

No, we don't do either. However, we still do Easter baskets that the kids come down on Easter and discover - it is just no mystery where the stuff came from. We also do an egg hunt, but the kids know we were the ones who hid the eggs. I don't see much point in either Santa or the Easter Bunny, and never did, but that doesn't mean that my kids miss out on the traditions that surround them. ^_^

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B.M.

answers from Chicago on

Last Christmas was the first time my kids found out that there was no Santa. They are now 11 and 9 years old and almost 12 and 10. Last year there was alot of crying but they were acting so selfish that I got mad and told them. I did this because now that they are older their toys are more expense than when they were littler. They kept asking why they only get a few gifts, but I told them Santa gives to everyone and he can't give too much to one child. Then they caught me buying something for them but I told them it was Daddy's. Then they both said that WE were selfish because we buy the parents expensive gifts. I got so mad that I gave him his $300 gift and said Merry Christmas...you just spoiled Christmas for EVERYONE. So now that Santa is no longer part of our Christmas, I did ask them about the Easter Bunny. They both said Mom if Santa is not real...I don't think the Easter Bunny is either. They both are no longer interested in sitting on Santa or the Easter Bunny's lap anymore...they told me they are too big. Then I asked if they are too big for an Easter egg hunt? They said they both liked the Easter egg hunt so I am giving them both Easter baskets because I still got them when I was their age. I think we will stop having them when my youngest turns into a teen about two more years. Then they will still get a choclate rabbit but not hid them anymore. My mom bought me chocolate rabbits until I graduated from college...maybe because I was her youngest. That's what my plans are now with the magical characters still make it a little special without the sneaking around.

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