Living without the Easter Bunny

I called my mother, the Colonel recently to remind her about Easter. Since she is very religious, I didn't have to remind her about Easter Sunday Mass or Lent. What I did have to remind my Catholic mother about was the Easter Bunny. Here's the conversation:

"Mom, be sure to get something for the girls for Easter."

"What for? Don't we just do the egg hunting in the park?"

"No Mom, you have to get them something from the Easter Bunny, like an Easter basket."

"What is that Easter Bunny? I'm sorry honey but I do not do those things, those are like American things." 

"Honestly Mom I don't really know what the Easter Bunny is either but that what they do here, so do it for the girls so that they will have the Easter Bunny. They will like it."

"Oh okay, where will I get these Easter Baskets?"

"Colonel, just go to the grocery store or Target they have ready made ones if you don't want to make one on your own."

" Oh okay, honey I'll get my apos (grandchildren in Pilipino), the Easter Baskets if that's what you guys do."

"Thanks Mom. "

If you haven't figured it out, the Easter Bunny didn't exist for me growing up. Nor did the Tooth Fairy, barely Santa and my Halloween costume every year was throwing my Mom's lab coat on and calling myself a doctor. Apparently they didn't have these characters in the Philippines and so when I would bring them up to my parents growing up they would just look at me like I was speaking a foreign language. It wasn't that my parents didn't try to make these characters happen for me. (They did put up a stocking after all, but didn't know they had to stuff it with toys.) They just weren't used to these American traditions and really saw no need for most of them. Santa was in, Tooth Fairy & Easter Bunny, out. I remember being so jealous of kids that would celebrate these characters and the holidays they belonged with and wanting that for myself. I guess you could say it was the start of my journey into assimilation. Being on the outside and looking in at all these fun traditions others were having was something that I couldn't comprehend as a child. I just wanted it all, the "American" dream. And as I look back, I realize they are dreams after all, these American characters that come with their traditions instilling an idea of fantasy, allowing children to dream. Of course, that is the ideal side of these traditions (let's not forget the uber-marketed side of said holidays).

Now as a parent myself, I have two perspectives to work off of. The practical piece due to my parents indifference to American traditions and the idyllic piece that stems from wanting those figures as a child. My girls get to look forward to Santa, the Tooth Fairy and Halloween. As a family, we celebrate these traditions enough for the girls to believe they exist (You won't catch me in a Christmas tree sweater, though!) and my reward comes in the look of excitement in their faces when 'dreams' come true. As for the Easter Bunny, well he's still not on our list, the baskets yes, sorry bunny, that's where I draw my line. 

Whatever traditions you do or do not celebrate hope this holiday is a blessed one.

Happy Easter everyone!