So I've just gone about scattering way more chocolate than is healthy for 3 children to eat in what will likely be less than 12 hours. Thankfully I've managed to put a fair bit of it away (ie I've scoffed it) to lessen the pain tomorrow. It got me thinking anyway about my commitment to the whole Easter bunny game. I love the Christmas magic and will defend my right to lie to my children about FC to the death but we've never really gotten into Easter Bunny. I recall the easter 5 years ago, when Mark had to go outside with a cricket bat to reassure our, at the time 2 year old, terrified son that the Easter Bunny wasn't hiding out there waiting to get him. A story my now 7 year old son found hilarious this evening, lol! Anyway, my kids are very much into it and I have a feeling that if I drop the ball on this particular fantasy then the rest will fall like a house of cards and I'm in no way ok with that. My lovely daughter lay awake for hours this evening listening for sounds of the bunny (one has to wonder what on earth she thought she'd hear!) and I know there will be much excitement in the morning until the sugar low hits. Ride the wave hey?!
Yes I know that easter is about so much more than chocolate, the 'real' meaning of these type of holidays is something I always struggle with as an atheist. I really don't have a problem with celebrating them, I see easter and christmas as cultural rather than specifically religious, especially when you look at the pagan origins. Easter kind of sucks for us in the Southern hemisphere in that regard. It's supposed to be about new life, spring etc and the reality is that everything's dying here or at least going to sleep for the coming winter. And the question is, what do I tell my kids. Well, this year I haven't brought it up. Fact is I just haven't had time to think about it, too much going on to have deep discussions with my 7 and 5 year old about different meanings of easter/ spring/ autumn equinox! In previous years we've discussed the christian version of easter as well as what the egg symbolises with pagan background (well as much as I know about it, which is pretty much nothing!). We did, however, dye/ paper mache the eggs in the photo. At least that's something :P I also bought 3 baskets from the op shop for collecting in the morning. Ah well, maybe next year I'll have more time to research it all in advance and start easter traditions/ rituals that don't only involve chocolate. In the meantime, the kids still fell the magic :D
