Should my kids participate in an egg hunt on Easter?

[Moneyball]

My wife and I have made the decision not to teach our kids that Santa Claus is real as that would not only be telling a lie, but also take away from true meaning of Christmas; the birth of Christ.

With Easter fast approaching our extended family is planning an Easter egg hunt for all the kids… I’d like some advice, would it be wise of me to let my kids participate in the egg hunt on Easter day? Or would that also take away from the true meaning of Easter? Thanks.

 

[TruthSeeker319]

Why not teach your children about Saint Nicholas whom Santa Claus is (along with a few other stories) based off of?
Teach your children the real Santa Claus. This Santa knows that Christmas is all about Jesus.

As for the Easter egg hunt. There is nothing wrong with letting children celebrate on Easter. However, you must make it clear that the joy of Easter is not due to the eggs, but to Christ rising from the dead. Let them rejoice because sin and death have been conquered by the risen Lord!

 

[Kelfa28]

I see Easter Egg hunts as just good, clean, fun.

I don’t think you’re taking away from the true meaning of Easter at all. Except if you completely replace Mass and celebrating Easter with hunts and eating chocolate all day.

Why would you deny the kids having fun with their extended family and cousins? It sounds like an event I wouldn’t dream of missing.

Hubby and I plan on teaching our kids what Easter is and it’s importance within our faith.

We also plan on having a holiday celebration that includes Mass, a family dinner and…an Easter Egg hunt…of course!

Personally…I think you’d being doing your children a heartbreaking disservice by denying them a fun event with their family members.

They’ll figure it out soon enough that their parents won’t allow them to hunt for eggs with their family and maybe start harboring resentment for the Holiday itself.

 

[Kelfa28]

Why not teach your children about Saint Nicholas whom Santa Claus is (along with a few other stories) based off of?
Teach your children the real Santa Claus. This Santa knows that Christmas is all about Jesus.

As for the Easter egg hunt. There is nothing wrong with letting children celebrate on Easter. However, you must make it clear that the joy of Easter is not due to the eggs, but to Christ rising from the dead. Let them rejoice because sin and death have been conquered by the risen Lord!

Yes, my kids know who St. Nicholas is and they know Santa. They haven’t totally connected the dots yet because my oldest is only 4…but they will.

 

[PolarGuy]

Let your kids be kids, for goodness’ sake!

Yes, let them participate.

There’s being a responsible parent, and there’s being a parent who thinks everything is a sin and ends up driving their kids away from the Church. Don’t be the latter.

 

[Moneyball]

Why not teach your children about Saint Nicholas whom Santa Claus is (along with a few other stories) based off of?
Teach your children the real Santa Claus. This Santa knows that Christmas is all about Jesus.

As for the Easter egg hunt. There is nothing wrong with letting children celebrate on Easter. However, you must make it clear that the joy of Easter is not due to the eggs, but to Christ rising from the dead. Let them rejoice because sin and death have been conquered by the risen Lord!

Yes, I left that part out to keep it short, but I completely agree about teaching our kids about Saint Nicholas.

As for Easter traditions, how far can it go? Where does the Easter bunny fit in all this?

 

[Moneyball]

Let your kids be kids, for goodness’ sake!

Yes, let them participate.

There’s being a responsible parent, and there’s being a parent who thinks everything is a sin and ends up driving their kids away from the Church. Don’t be the latter.

While I understand and mostly agree with the point being made here, I don’t think it’s fair to characterize parents who would like to avoid secular traditions on Holy days as “parents who think everything is a sin”.

 

[Kelfa28]

Yes, I left that part out to keep it short, but I completely agree about teaching our kids about Saint Nicholas.

As for Easter traditions, how far can it go? Where does the Easter bunny fit in all this?

Bunny hides the eggs.

I fail to see how that has any weight on Jesus and his resurrection. It’s two completely separate things.

The bunny could come on any day to hide eggs.

Or you could just tell the kids that you hid the eggs for them to find…

Easter is supposed to be a celebration. You can have fun when you celebrate. Why not include a fun egg hunt for the kids?

 

[PolarGuy]

Where does the Easter bunny fit in? The same place Santa fits in, to that magical place called “the joy of childhood.” It’s having good clean fun and letting kids be kids, and giving them something – candy, toys, whatever – that kids will actually like. Nothing kills a holiday quicker than your friends getting candy and toys, while you get to experience a really long session in church, while well-intentioned but misguided parents force you to grow up and tell you how happy you ought to be sitting in uncomfortable clothes in church.

Personally, my memories of childhood holidays, while generally including memories of church, especially include things like the expectation of getting toys on Christmas and candy on Easter. It’s part of having a happy childhood. Did I learn what Easter was really all about? Yes. Did I remember hunting for my easter basket on Easter sunday morning? Sure.

 

[Kelfa28]

While I understand and mostly agree with the point being made here, I don’t think it’s fair to characterize parents who would like to avoid secular traditions on Holy days as “parents who think everything is a sin”.

I wouldn’t go that far…but I think it’s sad that parents can’t allow their children to have a little fun and to use their imaginations a bit.

There is secular tradition that totally replaces the weight of the holiday. It’s a secular tradition if that is all you do on Easter and you don’t go to Mass at all.

However, an egg hunt becomes something fun to do on a day where we celebrate Jesus and His resurrection.

I can’t wait to get baskets together and hide eggs for the kids.

It’s something to look forward to…especially if you prepare for the celebration through observing Lent.

I think kids need something special to celebrate for the day. Like-it-or-not…Mass is still Mass for a child. If that is all you do on Easter Sunday…I think the kids will be missing out on the true celebratory aspect of it.

Let them have a good time and enjoy the day. Center the entire day around going to Mass as a family.

 

[Kelfa28]

Where does the Easter bunny fit in? The same place Santa fits in, to that magical place called “the joy of childhood.” It’s having good clean fun and letting kids be kids, and giving them something – candy, toys, whatever – that kids will actually like. Nothing kills a holiday quicker than your friends getting candy and toys, while you get to experience a really long session in church, while well-intentioned but misguided parents force you to grow up and tell you how happy you ought to be sitting in uncomfortable clothes in church.

Personally, my memories of childhood holidays, while generally including memories of church, especially include things like the expectation of getting toys on Christmas and candy on Easter. It’s part of having a happy childhood. Did I learn what Easter was really all about? Yes. Did I remember hunting for my easter basket on Easter sunday morning? Sure.

This.

Holidays are meant to be enjoyable for everyone.

We can all agree that cutting out the religious aspect of a holiday cheapens it and destroys it’s purpose.

Likewise…sucking all of the fun out of it makes it a chore and unenjoyable.

Sorry, but a 5 year old isn’t going to enjoy Christmas or Easter if Mass attendance and a stiff family dinner is all that happens.

He’s going to resent his faith if his friends are getting presents and candy on these holidays and he gets nothing.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Where does the Easter bunny fit in? The same place Santa fits in, to that magical place called “the joy of childhood.” It’s having good clean fun and letting kids be kids, and giving them something – candy, toys, whatever – that kids will actually like. Nothing kills a holiday quicker than your friends getting candy and toys, while you get to experience a really long session in church, while well-intentioned but misguided parents force you to grow up and tell you how happy you ought to be sitting in uncomfortable clothes in church.

Personally, my memories of childhood holidays, while generally including memories of church, especially include things like the expectation of getting toys on Christmas and candy on Easter. It’s part of having a happy childhood. Did I learn what Easter was really all about? Yes. Did I remember hunting for my easter basket on Easter sunday morning? Sure.

 

[Allegra]

Yes, I left that part out to keep it short, but I completely agree about teaching our kids about Saint Nicholas.

As for Easter traditions, how far can it go? Where does the Easter bunny fit in all this?

I may be weird, but I don’t recall any point in my early childhood where my conception of the “Easter bunny” was an actual, literal, magical rabbit. We always understood “the Easter bunny” to be the secret identity of whoever it was that hid eggs in our back yard. By the time my youngest siblings came along, my step-father made a big show of donning rabbit ears when he went out to hide the eggs.

 

[Moneyball]

Where does the Easter bunny fit in? The same place Santa fits in, to that magical place called “the joy of childhood.” It’s having good clean fun and letting kids be kids, and giving them something – candy, toys, whatever – that kids will actually like. Nothing kills a holiday quicker than your friends getting candy and toys, while you get to experience a really long session in church, while well-intentioned but misguided parents force you to grow up and tell you how happy you ought to be sitting in uncomfortable clothes in church.

Personally, my memories of childhood holidays, while generally including memories of church, especially include things like the expectation of getting toys on Christmas and candy on Easter. It’s part of having a happy childhood. Did I learn what Easter was really all about? Yes. Did I remember hunting for my easter basket on Easter sunday morning? Sure.

Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut, very much appreciated. I’m still not sure about the whole Easter bunny thing. I happen to respectfully disagree with Christian parents who teach their kids that Santa actually exists and that he is the reason for opening presents on Christmas morning.

Likewise, I’m seriously questioning the reasons behind teaching my kids about a rabbit laying chocolat eggs all over place… kids can still have fun without having to tell them fake stories that have nothing to do with the Ressurection.

 

[Moneyball]

I may be weird, but I don’t recall any point in my early childhood where my conception of the “Easter bunny” was an actual, literal, magical rabbit. We always understood “the Easter bunny” to be the secret identity of whoever it was that hid eggs in our back yard. By the time my youngest siblings came along, my step-father made a big show of donning rabbit ears when he went out to hide the eggs.

Now that’s interesting. Was it because of the way the whole thing was presented to you or did you just put 2 and 2 together? I personally don’t have a problem with the rabbit so long as it’s understood as a pretend game.

 

[Allegra]

Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut, very much appreciated. I’m still not sure about the whole Easter bunny thing. I happen to respectfully disagree with Christian parents who teach their kids that Santa actually exists and that he is the reason for opening presents on Christmas morning.

Likewise, I’m seriously questioning the reasons behind teaching my kids about a rabbit laying chocolat eggs all over place… kids can still have fun without having to tell them fake stories that have nothing to do with the Ressurection.

Again…it’s not a real bunny. I’m not sure why people think it’s a real bunny. Do people think dust bunnies are real bunnies? What about snow bunnies? Playboy bunnies? Also, not real bunnies. The Easter bunny is a person. Probably your dad. He may or may not be wearing rabbit ears.

 

[Moneyball]

Again…it’s not a real bunny. I’m not sure why people think it’s a real bunny. Do people think dust bunnies are real bunnies? What about snow bunnies? Playboy bunnies? Also, not real bunnies. The Easter bunny is a person. Probably your dad. He may or may not be wearing rabbit ears.

Yeah this is definitely not how it’s practiced by most families where I live.

 

[Allegra]

Now that’s interesting. Was it because of the way the whole thing was presented to you or did you just put 2 and 2 together? I personally don’t have a problem with the rabbit so long as it’s understood as a pretend game.

Well… bunnies just aren’t very big and they can’t really carry a heavy basket around with eggs in it. So, it was obvious that it was just a figure of speech.

 

[Moneyball]

Well… bunnies just aren’t very big and they can’t really carry a heavy basket around with eggs in it. So, it was obvious that it was just a figure of speech.

And reindeers don’t fly, but that doesn’t stop kids from believing they do lol.

 

[Allegra]

And reindeers don’t fly, but that doesn’t stop kids from believing they do lol.

Not being from the north, I’m not particularly familiar with reindeer and the things they do. I do know a thing or two about bunnies. The are shy and they don’t like to be seen by people. My understanding of the use of the term “Easter bunny” was that we were not meant to know who hid the eggs and it was a surprise and we were just supposed to enjoy it. Basically, it was a gift given with no expectation of recognition or even thanks from the recipients. I fail to see how that could possibly be out-of-line with the spirit of the day.