By Sadie Davis, Staff Writer
What do you think of when someone mentions Easter? I think of pastel colors, the light and airy feeling of spring, flowers blooming in gardens, the dresses girls wear for pictures and gatherings after the holiday church service. And, of course, I can’t forget the annual Easter egg hunt.
When I was little, like clockwork, my cousins and I would wait in the back of my grandparents’ house while I repeatedly asked my parents, “Can we go now?” The moment we were given the signal, we would burst into the backyard, scanning the grass for any pop of color that didn’t belong. Each of us raced to find the eggs the infamous Easter Bunny had hidden, plastic treasures filled with candy and, if we were lucky, a few quarters.
The Easter egg hunt was the highlight of the day for me as a kid. I searched every corner of the yard as quickly as I could, determined to beat my older brother and cousins by collecting the most eggs. My goal was simple: end the hunt with the most candy and hopefully enough quarters to claim the title of the richest cousin by the end of the day. It was a mix of excitement and tradition that made the Easter holiday fun as a kid.
However fun the Easter bunny and egg hunts were, as I grew older I came to understand this was not the reason for the season. Easter was a holiday directed to celebrate the risen Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. After being crucified on a cross, Jesus rose again three days later, defeating death, paying the price for our sins to make a way for followers of Christ to be in communion with the Lord in heaven one day. This is the true meaning behind the celebration of the Easter holiday. But if that is the true meaning, is celebrating the Easter bunny wrong?
This is a question we all need to ask ourselves. What are we holding as valuable during this holiday? What are we teaching our kids and celebrating? Freshman Ela Davidson described her experience during the holiday growing up:
“My opinion on the Easter bunny is that I think it keeps the magic of childhood alive, it brings a sense of light into Easter morning and is all around a fun time,” Davidson said. “Celebrating Easter for me was centered around family and Christ; every Easter growing up I would be at my nana’s house, and we would eat lunch together and do all the festive Easter activities while also reflecting on the importance of the holiday.”
Davidson described what it looks like to have a balance of the two ideas. With the magic of the Easter bunny keeping the family fun alive without overshadowing the true meaning of the holiday.
Junior Zach Wiggington brings a more reflective standpoint of why he celebrates the true meaning of Easter over the Easter bunny:
“It is an opportunity for me to remind myself of the sacrifice that was made for me that I don’t deserve, and that is not to say that I can’t remind myself of that any other day of the week, because I can do that; however, Easter is a special time to walk through the final week of Jesus’ life on earth and his death and ministry,” said Wigginton.
I believe both of these opinions on Easter are valid points. The Easter bunny can 100 percent blur the true meaning of Easter. It has the potential to be a bad thing if it becomes the central focus of the holiday. Wigginton’s comment is insightful on how we should see and celebrate the holiday. However, if families want to keep the childhood magic of the Easter bunny alive alongside the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, I think there is no problem with that as long as being the richest cousin in the egg hunt that year doesn’t overshadow the fact that Jesus is the resurrected King.
