The Easter Bunny.....blech

[The Philosoraptor]

I can get behind St. Nicholas, because he's based in truth. But I have a really hard time getting behind the stupid Easter Bunny. I don't want my daughter to think "Easter Bunny- chocolate, candy" when she thinks of Easter. I want her to think of Jesus ressurected.
So far, this isn't the case. She's only 4 and a half. Last year the Easter bunny wasn't really mentioned until a day or so before Easter.
Yesterday she drew a bunch of pictures to deliver to our (not Christian!) neighbours. They were pictures of the last supper, the Crucifixion, Mary being assumed into Heaven, etc. So her mind is in the right place right now anyway.
But this morning she said "how many more days until the Easter bunny comes mum?" and the thought just turned my stomach for some reason. Perhaps its my pagan roots getting to me.
My husband is behind me in giving her an alternative to the Easter bunny but I'm not sure what to do.
What do you folks say and do an d how do you feel about it?

Why not explain it to her?

I've known the Easter bunny was pagan symbolism for as long as I can remember; how it was explained to me was simple.

All new life is God's miracle, and before Jesus people used to celebrate new life every spring. The earth comes back to life after winter, and people used to give thanks to God for that. (Which is true; ok they didn't have the same understanding of God as we do, but at least they tried, right?) The Easter bunny comes from the March Hare, which is one of these old symbols of new life that we still keep around.

Then, if you feel inclined, you can relate the old celebration of new life every year to Easter and the celebration of the eternal life Jesus gives.


It's hugely over-simplified, but it meant that when I found out the real reason for eggs and about the goddess Eoster etc. about age 8 I wasn't at all shocked by the paganism of it.