Remember when Easter Sunday was the day to show off your new Easter dress and bonnet? Those days were the time to celebrate the coming of spring with a new wardrobe of frilly dresses, bright white patent leather shoes, and top it off with a new bonnet that might have been a hat with feathers or flowers depending on family tradition and personal preference. We don’t dress quite so formally anymore and those patent leather flats have been replaced by something made of suede or plastic. The traditions surrounding Easter are many and keeping the wardrobe change within the limits of your budget can be frustrating. Look to some special pricing offered at various online shopping sites for bargains that will surprise you and please the frugally minded shopper in all of us.
Easter means religion and the renewal of hope
Each Easter, as we celebrate Easter according to our religion and family traditions, we welcome springtime and the renewal of life. This also means gifts are often exchanged and that can become expensive. Finding appropriate presents for the kids, grandchildren, and other family members plus a sprinkling of friends dear to us can be reminiscent of Christmas because deciding what to give can be a dilemma for many of us. Let’s look into what constitutes good gifting and how to please them without melting down our budget too badly.
Clothes for Easter Sunday and springtime wardrobe
As a young girl I recall my mother and grandmother making sure I received a new Easter dress, frilly and usually pastel pink in color. I hate pink! And I’m not particularly fond of frills either. I’m more the jeans and t-shirt gal but Easter is a special time and a special season so give the gift that shows you care about tradition and can be worn to church on Sunday. Look to online sites like Amazon.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com for some really cute “girlie” dresses or small suit jackets and slacks for the boys. These will most likely only be worn once or twice so don’t spend too much. Something nice can be found for under $20 to $30. Add a pair of new shoes and you will still spend less than $50 and your child will be ready for Easter Sunday services or the next wedding funeral or bar mitzvah. If you want to avoid the formal wear and are more practical minded just look for back to school spring time duds.
Easter candy is steeped in tradition
Can anyone recall an Easter without the traditional basket loaded with chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, cream filled chocolate eggs, tiny little yellow “peeps” and then there is the Easter Egg Hunt for colored hardboiled eggs. Seems like this is the season to overdose on sugar and chocolate! Those huge baskets filled with candy also contain affordable little toys, maybe some puzzles and books. The tradition is to hide those baskets in the house and hide the hardboiled eggs outside, perhaps in the back yard. Some towns or businesses even hold Easter egg hunts for the community or employees and their families.
Live animals don’t make good gifts!
Giving baby bunnies or chicks has long been part of the Easter gifting tradition but it’s really never a good idea to give live pets unless it has been discussed beforehand. Children need to understand that with that new pet comes some responsibility like feeding them. The adorable baby chick will, within a few weeks, grow into a loud clucking (or even crowing) bird that is messy and needs its own housing plus grain to eat. A lovable baby bunny will soon become mature and often times aggressive toward small children, and they do bite! Kittens are another popular gift for Easter but they too will need to be cared for, wormed, given shots, and litter box trained.
Flowers are always a welcome gift for any occasion
Easter Lilies Roses and Tulips are among the many choices when it comes to sending flowers to your loved ones on Easter. They are beautiful and their scent is glorious! True they don’t last but while they are fresh they decorate any home. Give a houseplant such as a Bonsai or maybe even a mixture of gold pothos along with croton and Kalanchoe plants make amazingly lovely decorations that last a long time with care. The beauty of giving gifts at Easter is they will long be appreciated as something special and loving while also keeping well within your budget.