Two babies born near Easter so I did nice baskets. No believers for the first time this year so not sure how I will proceed.

NO! In my opinion, there's no reason to buy gifts for Easter. Perhaps an Easter basket (or even better, an Easter egg hunt) by the parents, but ... really? What is it about that holiday that indicates a gift is appropriate?

No - except for DH's chocolate bunny - it's a tradition.

My kids each get a small basket with chalk or bubbles or a coloring book and a few pieces of candy.

We do celebrate the Spring equinox with a nice dinner and fresh flowers.

Suzieque, what is it about Easter that calls for an egg hunt or an Easter basket? ;-) The first day of Spring falls near Easter.....that seems like a lovely reason for a small gift.

Thanks for the reminder. No, I do not do Easter Gifts. This year tho, I am downsizing my collection of Longaberger baskets....so it seems appropriate that the little GreatGrands have a special basket and I hope to get them in the mail since I think out "southern migration" will continue on hold until another winter/fall rolls around. (Gosh, I am cold, and in tears today....a week without my anti-depressant, so .....)

Small gifts for the Easter baskets--candy isn't missed as much if the basket has other interesting items. Jump rope is a good one, and one year I found egg-shaped sidewalk chalk.

We haven't done Easter baskets on Easter in a while, no children the right age. I'll buy chocolate rabbits or something when I know which teens might be joining us that day. I always buy a gift for my mother, sometimes other adults but I don't remember taking 'other adult' gifts last year. They can be token - a pot of mini daffodils, ornamental egg, some special tea. Easter we will often meet at a central location (restaurant) so something small that can go near a plate on the table - though gifts aren't expected or required. I do take Peeps to my sister, a tradition ;) She eats them too.

I make and send He Has Risen Easter cards as a reminder of why we celebrate Easter.

The children received an Easter treat when they were young which usually consisted of some sort of container...basket, bucket, toy wheelbarrow, bowl...that held a stuffed animal or small toy and some plastic eggs with candy in them.

I buy some of the things that are put in grandsons' Easter baskets as a way to help my daughter.

I send an Easter card with $10.00 to each of my grandchildren!

When grandson was younger, I would buy those plastic Easter eggs, put small amts of money in each and put them on the sidewalk, leading into my place, and also have the eggs around inside for him to hunt and seek and find his money surprises . Memory maker.

When my kids were little, we'd do an Easter basket with a few trinkets (bubbles, stickers, etc.) plus candy. We have friends who graciously opened their home up for little ones to host an Easter egg hunt and do crafts focusing on the empty tomb of Jesus. As the kids grew older, we still got them horrid amounts of candy (my husband has fond memories of the candy in Easter baskets he received as a kid). But by the time they were older than eight, we kept the focus where it belongs: on Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection.

Easter seems like another holiday that for many has morphed away from its solemn religious origin because of non-religious elements that have become part of the tradition. In households where the religious significance is maintained, I have to imagine kids must get confused with the addition of notions like the Easter bunny, Easter eggs, and candy. As with Santa Claus and Christmas.

.

Easter, like Christmas, was originally a pagan holiday. It was co-opted by the early church to be centered around Christ.

Eggs, bunnies, flowers, are all central to the celebration of Spring and the goddess Éostre and so, those pagan symbols were kept.

Trees, Yule logs, feasts, gift-giving, red berries, etc are all symbols of various pagan celebrations of the winter solstice and so they were incorporated into the Christian celebration.

In fact, the reason the early church chose these dates to celebrate was because they wanted early Christians to be able to still have a celebration when they were accustomed and they wanted to convert pagans.

Yes, I know the backgrounds well. A part of what I was trying to say and didn't very well is that the non-religious elements of the traditions have become of equal prominence and, for many, taken the place of the religious ones.

I stayed away from overdoing the candy in my own children's Easter baskets when they were small. They would get things like legos, puzzles, bubbles, chalk, art supplies etc. I would also get them their first swimsuits of the season and add a toothbrush.

I don't do Easter baskets for the grandkids. That is their parent's role. I do buy them gifts for Easter. I got DGD a swimsuit and a summer nightie with a bunny on it. DGS will get a cute reusable swim diaper and summer PJs also if I can find them. I may add a very small chocolate bunny to the gifts.

I tend to "spoil" them a bit. I buy things for them all the time. I do not always buy something for both except at holidays. I see something one would like, I get it. Another time it will be another's turn. I did the same with my own two. They are close to this day and we never had the who has the most, biggest gift rivalry going on. I think trying to be "fair" ALL the time backfires quite often. At least that is what I've observed.

We are not religious. Even if we were I don't see the conflict of having fun together. They have a set of great grandparents that are quite religious. They have fun on their visits to them also. Nothing wrong with being exposed to religious beliefs, nothing wrong with mixing in a little fun.

No gifts for Easter. We used to do baskets for the little ones.

I was interested because I hadn't heard of presents other than the baskets.

Since we're doing a bit of comparative religion, I'll mention that gift giving at Hanukkah is only because that's when the surrounding culture is doing it. Jewish tradition is to have gifts at Rosh Hashana (new things for a new year) and Passover. Part of the reason for gifts at Passover is that if you're going to be very kosher about it, all the personal care items have to be new, and if somewhat less so, at least a new toothbrush. It's also a time for new clothes, partly because of the changing of the seasons. That evolved into more generalized gift giving among those who could afford more.

It's possible that the people who give Easter presents either evolved it from Easter baskets, or perhaps had a Jewish ancestor who passed it down. :)

'Course it's leap year, so Easter and Passover are a month apart this year. :)

I have been appalled the last several years at some of the Easter gift-giving here in the NE. It seems to rival Christmas (which has also gotten out of hand) in cost and/or quantity.

Did candy, coins in plastic eggs, and a few cheap (dollar store) toys when my son was small and later same when grandsons were here for the holdiay. My parents & grandparents did the same when I was a child - gifts were of the trinket variety.

I always gave my grands a stuffed animal and a small basket but those days are over.

No. No grandkids here.

In our house we LOVE Easter! But, as with all celebrated holidays for us, we have family rules. Those rules are NO store bought gifts at all. If you have to buy supplies to make a gift, you may not spend more than ten dollars. We do invite family over after Church for a big family meal...For Easter, we have the season's first BBQ, even if its too cold to eat out doors. The focus is all on the real reason for the Holiday, family, friends and sharing love.

When my sister and I were growing up, my parents always gave us an Easter basket. The basket was saved for the following Easter. When we had children both sets of Grandparents gave each child an Easter basket and the baskets were saved for the following Easter. We also gave the Mothers a gift, usually a potted flower. We are a family that give gifts all through the year, not just on holidays.

Sue

Oh, Marilyn Sue, your family traditions are the same as ours--my grandmother always received an Easter lily. I still have my grown children's baskets, and all the plastic eggs, which we now use for the grands. We had such lovely Easters when I was a child (and Christmases, too), and there was never any confusion about the real meaning of the holidays.

My daughter is grown and I don't have grandkids, but I still like to do something small that says I'm thinking of you. Most holiday's including Easter, I buy her a new towel for her kitchen that has decor for that holiday on it. It's become tradition. If I can't find one I like, I get her a small pot of tuips or gerber daisy's.

I have grands and greats. For all of the "candy" holidays since everyone is far away, I send a card and $5 in cash to everyone. For my grand, I make Easter bunny and chick cookies and send those as well. Growing up Easter was centered around the church but the Easter bunny did make a stop by our house and left us candy. (And sometimes there would be a stuffed bunny in with the candy).

Not now. We've gotten away from the gift giving in standard ways anyway. Among those close to me we give gifts when we feel like giving a gift. Why wait for a birthday, holiday, retirement, death or otherwise to give something when you want to give it to them? Plus this way there isn't the obligation to give something you can't afford and they can't use. Most gifts are something the person wants and either the other person has it and doesn't want, need or use it anymore or can afford to give it. Limits the holiday shopping and the inflated prices plus it relieves stress. And cuts down on the clutter we all have too much of anyway. And when something is on sale, clearance or otherwise, it benefits that much more. Not foolproof but advantageous and works quite well.

Now if I had grandchildren, all rules might go out the window...