What Do Bunnies and Eggs Have to Do With Easter?

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The commercials with the Easter bunny and chocolate eggs have started again this year bringing in the Easter season. Talk about confusing! It makes me think back to when my children were younger, they were raised on a farm where we raised chickens and rabbits and they knew that bunnies had nothing to do with eggs no matter what the Cadbury bunny commercials say. With all the confusion I wanted to make sure that my children understood what the Easter season was really about and to assure them that they were correct, bunnies had nothing to do with eggs.

Since my children have been old enough to toddle about in Sunday school they had been introduced to the season by the making of palm branches and crying hosanna as they walked up the church aisles or across the platform at the front being a part of the junior church proclaiming the news that Jesus was coming. As modern day children get excited and giggle about their part of the service, is how I explained how the people of Jesus' day must have felt with the thought of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

And then just five days later on Good Friday the cries of the people changed from hosanna to chants of crucify him. God had a plan and Jesus had to die on the cross so that we would be able to go to heaven to live with God when we died. Although it is a sad thought that Jesus had to die we need to remember that he was willing to do this for us and take the time to thank him for loving us enough to do this for us. So Good Friday is a day that Christians can use to remember what Jesus did for us and to be thankful for his love for us.

Three days after Jesus died he rose from the dead and that is a day we call Easter. Easter is so important to us as Christians because our Savior is alive and in heaven living with God and interceding on our behalf. On Easter Sunday the church service starts the celebration of that day with special services such as sunrise service, church wide breakfasts and then an Easter message and special music. Afterwards many families gather together and celebrate at home with a special meal and family time.

So how did the Easter bunny and chocolate eggs come apart of this religious holiday? It is thought that in the 1700's German immigrants brought the tradition which includes the egg laying hare, representing fertility and new life. Slowly, this became a part of the Easter celebration. We enjoyed making this part of our Easter tradition as well just making sure that our children understood the true meaning of the Easter season.

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Easter Eggs, Bunnies and Costumes - Oh My!

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This year, Easter Sunday falls on April 12th. Easter Sunday activities include colorful Easter parades, Easter Sunday religious services and the always exciting Easter egg hunt! The anticipation in preparing for an Easter egg hunt can only be matched by the excitement many children experience leading up to and during the actual hunt itself.

Preparations for the Easter egg hunt include selecting a location, choosing decorative crafts and paints for the eggs, boiling the eggs, painting them and then hiding the eggs around the lawn or yard. Pastel colors work best for egg-dipping, as they are bright enough to see even through tall grass. On Easter Sunday, at least one parent will have to dress as the Easter Bunny during the hunt, requiring them to wear an oversized bunny costume.

As for the children, the fun usually begins at daybreak, when they awaken to find Easter baskets filled with Easter candies and chocolates. The madcap excitement continues as they get dressed in their favorite Easter Sunday costume.

Get a head start on the festivities. Pick an outfit for the kids from the following children's Easter costumes, such as:

1. Rabbit or bunny costume
2. Marshmallow Peep or other Easter candies like Jelly Beans
3. Religious or Biblical figure like Jesus, Joseph, or the Virgin Mary

And these ever-popular costumes that children always enjoy dressing in:
4. Fairy or Pixie such as Tinker Bell
5. Superhero
6. Fairytale Princess or Disney Princess like Aurora or Jasmine
7. Swashbuckling Pirate like Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean
8. Angel

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Of Chocolate Eggs, Bunnies, and Personalized Easter Baskets

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A way to celebrate Easter is to give away personalized Easter baskets, which could contain the traditional basket fillers, such as pascha (Easter bread), ham, egg, cheese, butter, salt, sausages, and eggs. For these traditional baskets to become unique and personal, extra effort needs to be exerted by the giver. It can be through a simple handmade card, hand-painted eggs, fine chocolate, or homemade basket fillers.

Another route to take in customized Easter baskets is to fill them up with non-traditional (or non-Christian) things, like gourmet chocolate presents, cookies, blankets, a sweater, and even bunnies. Whatever you can fit into the basket, as long as it's a heartfelt gift, then don't hesitate to pile it in.

To Buy or To Make

Custom Easter baskets can be store-bought or hand made - that is to say, everything in it you've made especially for the person for whom it is intended. After all, the only reason it is called 'personalized' is because it was tailored to fit the personality of the recipient. There are many stores both online and off that specialize in making personalized Easter baskets, and most of the online stores will have the baskets delivered to your doorstep, or your recipient's. 

If unsure of whether or not to buy it or make it, do a little research first. Sometimes it might seem like a good idea at first to just make it, but then late in the day you will realize that it's much harder work than it looked. If you're not careful, it can be a lot more expensive, too. The upside of giving store-made one-of-a-kind Easter baskets is that you already know what the cost is, and most stores have different price ranges to choose from. Not only that, they are probably much better at packaging, too.

But giving the exact same thing to everyone sort of takes out the fun in it, and making everything yourself can leave you too tired to celebrate. The answer to that is to take a hybrid approach:  start with some purchased items and add a little something extra from your kitchen or worktable.

Why Take the Made-to-Order Approach?

Giving another person a truly personalized Easter basket - or anything with a customized touch, for that matter - can make anyone feel special. It means that someone took the time and the effort to think of who he/she really is, as well as what he/she wants or needs. That is, indeed, the essence of giving.

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3 Cute Easter Bunnies Crafts For Preschoolers

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These preschool Easter bunnies crafts light up the kids faces every time they make one of them. Celebrate Easter this year by making one of the three cute Easter bunny.

Easter Bunnies Crafts 1 - Fluffy The Easter Bunny

Materials:
A piece of hard cardboard
Pair of scissors
Pink paint
pom poms
Three chenille stems or pipe cleaners
Two Wiggly eyes
Loads of cotton balls
Glue stick
Paint Brush
HB pencil

Directions:
Draw a bunny shape using a pencil. Draw a bigger circle for the body and a smaller one on top of that for the head. Add two big ears and a round tail. Using pink paint, paint the bunny's ears pink and allow to dry. Stick cotton balls around the outer rim of the ears. Make sure you can still see the pink inner ear. Now using the glue stick, cover the rest of the rabbits body with glue. Cover the glue in cotton balls. Add a pom pom for the nose and stick on two wiggly eyes on the head. Using the pair of scissors, cut the chenille stems in half and place these on either side of the nose, as whiskers. You can add pom poms or buttons for the front of his body.

Easter Bunnies Crafts 2 - Rolly Polly Bunny

Materials:
Two clean toilet paper rolls
Any colored paint
Pair of scissors
Fibre tip Pens or markers
Two googly eyes
One ball of cotton wool
White paper
Glue Stick

Directions:
Using any color of paint you wish, paint the two toilet rolls the same. Allow time to dry. Draw and cut out two big rabbit ears on the white construction paper. Now draw an inner ear and color it in pink. Put a little glue on the front bottom part of the ears and attach to the back of the first toilet roll. The ears need to be in between the rolls before you glue the second roll to the back of the first one. Make sure the ears are facing you before you begin to draw the face onto the front toilet roll. Add two googly eyes and draw using fibre tip pens- whiskers, a mouth and a nose on the toilet roll. Now on the back toilet roll glue on the ball of cotton wool, this will be the bunnies tail.

Easter Bunnies Crafts 3 - Fluffy Rabbit Basket

Materials:
Empty plastic container such as a margarine tub
Loads of cotton wool balls
White construction paper - A4
Chenille stems or pipe cleaners
Wiggly eyes
Pair of scissors
Wood Glue
Pom pom

Directions:
Using a clean and dry plastic container, glue the outside of the container all the way round. Sick as many cotton balls on the glue so that the tub is completely covered. Weave together three chenille stems to form a handle. Glue the handle to the inside of the tub on either side. Draw big bunny ears onto the white construction paper and cut out. Glue these to the inside of the smaller side of the tub. the ears need to be next to each other. Add a pom pom for the nose and glue on the wiggly eyes, just under the ears. Use pipe cleaners or chenille stems to act as whiskers, glue these on either side of the nose. Now fill the tub with a soft material and add Easter eggs.

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Healthy Easter Treats - Easter Bunnies Bring More Than Chocolate Eggs

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Easter baskets don't have to be full of chocolate and peeps. Here are some great ideas that will fill your Easter basket without all the extra fat and sugar.

Bubbles

What child doesn't love to blow bubbles? Grab a couple of bottles of bubbles for this year's Easter basket. The kids will have a blast with them and with a little luck it will be warm enough outside to keep them busy and running around chasing bubbles for quite some time.

Sidewalk Chalk

Another fun treat is sidewalk chalk. This is the perfect time to draw on the sidewalk with the weather warming up. Plus we get enough rain in the spring that your driveway or sidewalk won't be decorated for too long.

Homemade Playdough

Make some playdough using your favorite homemade playdough recipe (we have one at kinderinfo.com). Get a couple of small playdough toys to go along with it and let the fun begin.

Toys from the Dollar Store

You can also pick up some very inexpensive toys at the dollar store. I have found anything from Easter themed coloring books to kites in there. This is also a great place to shop for the Easter baskets themselves, as well as some plastic Easter eggs that are great for hiding small trinkets and treats.

Of course every child should have some special treats in the Easter basket as well. Along with the obligatory chocolate bunny, include some healthier treats.

Chocolate and Yogurt Covered Raisins

Both chocolate and yogurt covered raisins look like little mini Easter eggs and are a yummy treat. Fill a small cellophane bag with these sweet treats and tie a pretty bow around it.

Trail Mix with Jellybeans

Mix some low sugar cereal like chex, or cheerios with some small pretzels, peanuts, raisins, and some jellybeans for an Easter inspired Trail Mix. You don't have to feel bad about your kids filling up on this. Pour your trail mix in a small bag, or fill some large plastic Easter eggs with the mix.

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