Beyond the Easter Bunny: Keeping Christ Central in Your Family's Easter

The Most Important Holiday, Often Overshadowed

Easter is the foundation of Christianity. Without the resurrection, as Paul says, our faith is useless (1 Corinthians 15:14). Yet somehow, in our culture, the most important day on the Christian calendar has become dominated by bunnies, eggs, and candy baskets.

As Christian parents, we face a choice: How do we engage with the secular celebrations around us while keeping Christ at the center? Do we reject the bunny entirely? Embrace it? Find a middle ground? And how do we make sure our children know what Easter is really about?

This guide offers practical strategies and thoughtful perspectives to help your family celebrate Easter with the resurrection as the main event.

The Real Question

Before we talk about bunnies and baskets, let's ask the deeper question: When your children think of Easter, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

If the answer is "eggs" or "candy" or "the Easter bunny," something has gone sideways. Not because eggs and candy are bad, but because they've taken the central position that belongs to Jesus alone.

The goal isn't to eliminate all secular elements (though that's a valid choice for some families). The goal is to ensure the resurrection is so prominent, so celebrated, so talked about, so experienced that everything else is clearly secondary.

Jesus should be the headline. Everything else is the fine print.

Different Approaches Christian Families Take

There's no single "right" way to handle Easter traditions. Here are approaches faithful Christian families take:

Approach 1: Easter Bunny-Free Zone

Some families choose not to include the Easter bunny at all. They focus exclusively on the resurrection, with all activities, decorations, and conversations centered on Jesus.

• •Pros: Complete clarity, no competition for attention, no confusing messages
• •Cons: Kids may feel left out, have to navigate school/friend situations, may miss out on 'redeemable' elements

Approach 2: Acknowledge But Don't Emphasize

These families participate in some secular traditions (egg hunts, baskets) but don't play up the Easter bunny character. They may do eggs but attribute them to parents, not a fictional bunny.

• •Pros: Kids can participate in community events, avoids the 'pretending' aspect, still keeps Jesus central
• •Cons: Requires constant balance and intentionality, kids may be confused by mixed messages elsewhere

Approach 3: Redeem the Symbols

Some families include secular elements but give them Christian meaning—eggs represent the empty tomb and new life, spring animals represent resurrection and new creation, etc.

• •Pros: Engages culture thoughtfully, creates teaching moments, makes everything point to Jesus
• •Cons: May feel forced, symbols can be ambiguous, requires explanation

Approach 4: Full Participation with Clear Priority

These families do the baskets, bunny, eggs, and all the trappings BUT make the resurrection celebration so significant that Jesus is clearly the main event. The bunny is a fun side note, not the focus.

• •Pros: Kids don't feel deprived, can engage with culture, shows prioritization in action
• •Cons: Requires very intentional counter-emphasis, easy for secular to overshadow sacred if not careful

Practical Strategies for Keeping Christ Central

Whichever approach you take, here are strategies to ensure Jesus stays front and center:

1. Make the Resurrection the BIGGEST Part

Whatever energy and excitement you put into secular elements, put MORE into celebrating Jesus. If you have an egg hunt, also have a resurrection celebration. If kids get baskets, also have a special resurrection breakfast. If there's candy, also have a meaningful family devotion.

In terms of time, attention, and enthusiasm—the resurrection should be the main event, not the warm-up act.

2. Start the Day with Jesus

Before any baskets, eggs, or other activities, gather as a family:

• •Read the resurrection account together
• •Exchange the greeting: 'He is risen!' / 'He is risen indeed!'
• •Pray and thank Jesus for conquering death
• •Sing a resurrection song together
• •THEN move to other activities

This sets the priority clearly from the first moment.

3. Talk About Jesus MORE Than the Bunny

In the weeks leading up to Easter, if the bunny gets mentioned 20 times but Jesus only gets mentioned 5 times, there's an imbalance. Make a conscious effort to talk about the resurrection story frequently:

• •During Holy Week, discuss each day's events
• •At dinner, share what you're grateful for about Jesus
• •In the car, play resurrection songs
• •At bedtime, read from the Gospels

4. Be Honest About What's Real

Many Christian families choose not to tell children the Easter bunny is real, even if they participate in the tradition. This avoids mixing fantasy with the historical reality of the resurrection.

You can enjoy bunny-themed fun without claiming it's a real creature that delivers baskets. "The Easter bunny is a fun pretend character, but Jesus really rose from the dead—that's what we're celebrating!"

5. Choose Traditions That Teach

The traditions you establish will shape what Easter means to your children. Choose some that explicitly teach the Gospel:

• •Resurrection eggs (objects that tell the Easter story)
• •Easter garden (tomb scene with a stone that rolls away)
• •Resurrection rolls (cooking activity where 'Jesus' disappears)
• •Sunrise service attendance
• •Good Friday observance before Easter celebration
• •Annual reading of the resurrection accounts

6. Use the Secular as a Springboard

When secular elements come up, use them as conversation starters:

• •"Why do you think people associate eggs with Easter? Eggs hold new life—and Jesus gives us new life!"
• •"Spring reminds us that after something looks dead, new life can come. What looked dead but came back to life on Easter?"
• •"Bunnies have lots of babies—they're symbols of new life. What's the most amazing new life ever?"

Age-Specific Guidance

When Your Approach Differs from Others

Your family's choices may differ from grandparents, friends, school, or church. Here's how to navigate:

With Grandparents/Extended Family

• •Communicate your wishes kindly but clearly
• •Focus on what you DO want rather than what you don't
• •Offer alternatives: 'Instead of bunny stuff, we'd love resurrection eggs!'
• •Let minor things go if the relationship is more important
• •Be gracious—they're trying to show love

With Friends/School

• •Prepare kids for what they might see or hear
• •Give them simple responses: 'We celebrate Jesus rising from the dead. That's what Easter is really about!'
• •Don't make kids feel weird or isolated—participation in egg hunts doesn't undermine faith if Jesus is still central at home
• •Use outside events as discussion starters afterward

With Your Own Kids When They Ask

If kids ask why you do things differently, be honest:

"Easter is about the most important thing that ever happened—Jesus coming back to life! We want to make sure that's what we focus on the most. The bunny stuff is fun, but Jesus is the real reason we celebrate."

Sample Easter Day Schedule

Here's what a Christ-centered Easter might look like:

Notice the structure: Jesus comes first, fun activities follow, and reflection bookends the day. This isn't about avoiding fun—it's about proper ordering.

Making Jesus More Exciting Than the Bunny

Here's the real challenge: Jesus' resurrection is the greatest event in history. It should be MORE exciting than any secular substitute. If kids are more excited about candy than about Jesus conquering death, we need to rethink our presentation.

Ideas to Amp Up Resurrection Excitement:

• •Make resurrection morning DRAMATIC: candles, special clothes, shouting 'He is risen!'
• •Have a resurrection party with decorations, special food, and celebration
• •Give gifts that relate to the resurrection (empty tomb toys, resurrection story books, cross jewelry)
• •Make Holy Week an experience that builds anticipation—like Advent but for Easter
• •Let Good Friday be sad so Easter can be joyful by contrast
• •Tell the story with enthusiasm, not as dry history
• •Connect the resurrection to their lives: 'Because Jesus rose, YOU can have eternal life!'

A Word of Grace

If you're reading this and realizing past Easters have been more bunny than Jesus, don't despair. God is gracious. This year can be different. Start wherever you are and move toward making Christ more central.

And if you've been keeping Christ central all along, keep going! Your intentionality is shaping your children's understanding of what really matters.

The resurrection changes everything. Let's celebrate it like we believe it.