Something to Think About for the Next Easter Sunday By Stephanie Lafreniere

I remember running through the house as a child searching for tiny colorful eggs
that held special, mostly chocolate, treats inside. It was always a day I looked forward to
and always lived up to the hype. My parents played their parts perfectly, and I, an eager
young child, searched restlessly for each and every egg, which eventually led to
discovering a basket the bunny himself had left behind, just for me. Those were the
golden days of Easter. So, when did Easter suddenly become a second Christmas?

My 10-year-old nephew received a bike for Easter. A $100 bike, rather than $20
worth of little pieces of candy and a small basket full of fake grass. Iʼm sure either way
he would have received a new bike eventually, but thatʼs not the point. Easter used to
be a small holiday where families would get together for an egg hunt, eat some
chocolate, and have a nice dinner. Even if you werenʼt religious, you probably enjoyed
the fun of the holiday. Somehow, in the last 10 or so years, itʼs become almost like a
second Christmas, where children receive gifts that are much more expensive than the
old basket of eggs, and are usually barely, or not at all, related to Easter in any way.

Iʼm not saying itʼs a bad thing to give your child a gift, but I just donʼt understand
why Easter has become the day to do so. Isnʼt Christmas stressful enough? And then
there are birthdays too! Itʼs not like kids need another gift-giving holiday.

“If you look at it from a commercial view, itʼs a lot of fun when youʼre a kid
because you get to go on Easter hunts and get gifts, which racks in money for
businesses. From a religious view, itʼs lost a lot of what it means, or what it used to
mean,” commented Jackie Joncas, a PRHS junior. “And if you look at it from a parentʼs
point of view, itʼs a big waste of money!”

Jackie comes from a quasi-religious family that still attends an evening mass
after her Easter dinner. Sheʼs from my age level and understands in the the same way I
do that Easter has changed. Though, truthfully, Iʼd have to say everythingʼs changing
nowadays, be it technology, schooling, or yes, even holidays.

But, donʼt let this keep you from enjoying your Easter and all your Easterʼs after.
Go ahead, eat a delicious dinner, and enjoy that new game that cost your folks a
fortune! Eventually it'll all get back to you.