The Easter Bunny is officially stepping on Santa Claus’ toes and parents have had enough

When I look back on Easter growing up, I remember Cadbury chocolate bunnies, egg hunts with paper baskets, and a delicious seafood lunch shared with family.

But after a recent trip to the shops, I quickly noticed Easter is fast becoming bigger than it has ever been.

Do we really need all of this?

Just as you pack away your matching Christmas family pj’s, the bunny jammies are ready to take their place.

Homewear stores have been overrun with rabbit cake stands, Easter egg waffle makers and baby chick novelty napkins.

And before you label me whatever the Easter equivalent of the Grinch is, I am all for getting into the holiday spirit, but does it ever end?!

And then the presents

The social media gods have flooded my feeds with “the perfect Easter gifts for your little one” and frankly, I don’t want any of it.

Personalised baskets and sacks, lux bunnies or expensive blankets- when did Easter become more than just chocolate?

“Has the Easter Bunny Always Brought Presents??

It seems I’m not alone in my confusion, with one mum taking to a parenting forum on Reddit on the hunt for some clarification.

“I’m an older (40) first-time parent, and…over the last few days [I’ve realised] how big this Easter bunny basket giving is,” she wrote.

“I always thought of the Easter bunny as more of an official holiday mascot. I always received an Easter basket as a kid and did egg hunts, but it was clear that it was from my family.

“I also do not remember kids talking about the Easter bunny coming to visit them,” she added.

“So, is this a new thing? Is this a cultural or regional thing? Or was my family just unaware of this tradition, and I was oblivious?”

Many people shared their varying takes on this special holiday, which appeared to be a family–specific take.

“I only ever remember the Easter bunny hiding eggs for a hunt. Never gifts! Is it country-specific? I’m Australian, and as far as I know, the gifts thing still isn’t really a thing here, or at least it isn’t super common. I always assumed that gifts took off in America, but I could be wrong there,” shared one.

“Ugh we’re grumbling about this too. I always thought the bunny was more an aesthetic mascot not like…rodent Santa. Unfortunately my 6yo has declared the bunny the bringer of gifts,” lamented another.

Another agreed, “I think the gifting thing is a recent development. When I was a kid the Easter Bunny brought a basket of candy and hid eggs around the house.”

However, a few commenters revealed Easter means more to their family than just a Cadbury egg.

“I live/grew up in a cold weather state. I also have a winter birthday. So sometimes the Easter bunny gave me a bigger spring/summer gift, like a bike. We do this with our kids too. This year our younger 2 got scooters. Again, not the norm every year,” revealed one parent.

Another parent shared they do “an egg hunt and a basket with stickers, bubbles, a stuffed bunny, and an Easter dress from the Easter bunny.”

“Of course,” they added, “she did get a few more gifts too, but we were clear that they were from her grandparents, not the Easter Bunny.”

Another ploy to spend more money

It just seems like stores are plotting against parents to convince them that true happiness can only be achieved by spending hundreds of dollars every few months to celebrate something.

And again, before you call me a grumpy and whingy woman who has nothing better to do, just pause for a moment and tell me you aren’t exhausted by the never-ending stream of things we need to buy into?!

I decided last year I would cap how much I spend on presents and holidays and take a more thoughtful approach by DIYing.

I asked for my family to pool their gifts for my birthday and Christmas and got myself a Cricut machine.

Since buying this crafting wizardry, I’ve made t-shirts, personalised glasses and even wall decals for a fraction of the price of what I’d buy in-store.

So, instead of stressing if you need matching bunny pjs and a rabbit cake stand for your easter lunch, just do whatever works for you.

But don’t be a sucker for the five-minute fad because before we know it, the shops will be swapping out bunnies for pumpkins and ghosts, and we’ll be starting all over again.