What To Do With The Easter Bunny?

A Christian Parent’s Guide to Keeping Christ at the Center of Easter

Every Christian parent eventually meets the same question each spring:

What do we do with the Easter Bunny?

If you grew up like me with Easter baskets, egg hunts, or a costumed bunny at the mall, you know how fun and memorable those moments can be. At the same time, as believers who want to intentionally disciple our children, we also feel the tension: How do we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus without allowing the “extras” to overshadow the wonder of the empty tomb?

This article is not about fear, guilt, or panicked warnings about pagan roots or cultural conspiracies. It’s about discipleship, wisdom, and keeping first things first.

Just as we approached Santa at Christmastime, we’ll take the same approach here—with clarity, honesty, gentleness, and a Christ-centered focus.

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1. Start with the Question Beneath the Question

Most parents aren’t actually worried about a giant egg-laying rabbit.
They’re worried about their child’s heart:

• Will the Easter Bunny distract from Jesus?
• Will my kids misunderstand the meaning of Easter?
• Will adding a tradition undermine the Resurrection?
• Will removing it make Easter feel cold or disconnected?

Those are wise questions.
But they’re not solved by banning or baptizing a cultural tradition.
They’re solved by intentional discipleship.

Your primary calling isn’t to choose the “right” Easter traditions—it’s to teach your children why Easter matters in the first place (1 Corinthians 15:20).

Easter Bunny or not, discipleship is the difference.

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2. Is the Easter Bunny Harmful? Let’s Answer Honestly

Let’s clear away the myths first:
The modern Easter Bunny has no meaningful spiritual power, no doctrinal threat, and no connection to ancient pagan worship.
It’s a modern cultural character—more like Frosty the Snowman than a false god.

Could it become a distraction?
Sure.
So can candy.
So can new clothes.
So can brunch.

The issue isn’t the bunny itself.
The issue is what place we allow it to have.

If the Easter Bunny becomes the center of your celebration, it becomes a problem.
If it’s an optional, fun side tradition that lives in the shadow of a Risen King, it’s not.

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3. Be Honest with Your Kids

I encouraged honesty in my Santa post, and the same principle applies here:

Don’t build your family traditions on deception.

If your kids ask, “Is the Easter Bunny real?” you don’t need to weave elaborate stories or hide behind half-truths.

You can simply say:

“No, the Easter Bunny isn’t real. He’s just a fun pretend character our or some families use during Easter—kind of like a mascot for the celebration. But do you know what Easter is really about? Let’s talk about that.”

Truthfulness builds trust.
And trust is one of the most important ingredients in discipleship.

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4. Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

No matter what your family chooses to do with the Easter Bunny, the priority is the same:

➡ Easter is about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He is the center.
He is the reason for joy.
He is the source of our hope.

Use the Easter season to:

• read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death and resurrection,
• talk about the cross and empty tomb,
• memorize a resurrection verse together,
• attend Good Friday and Easter services,
• take communion thoughtfully,
• remind your children what salvation means
• use the things of the season to point to the reason for the season.

These are the anchors that make Easter spiritually weighty, beautiful, and formative.

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5. So What Should Christian Parents Do with the Easter Bunny?

You have three faithful, biblical options—just like with Santa:

Option 1: Skip the Easter Bunny entirely

Some Christian families choose to avoid the Easter Bunny because they want to remove distractions.
That’s a faithful choice.
Just be sure you aren’t motivated by fear or false information.

Option 2: Include the Easter Bunny as a lighthearted, pretend tradition

This is where most Christian families land.
They treat the bunny like they treat superheroes, Mickey Mouse, or Paw Patrol—fun, imaginative, and harmless, but clearly pretend.

You can still do:

• Easter baskets
• Egg hunts
• Spring decorations
• Family pictures with the bunny
• Jelly beans (especially the jelly beans)

…without ever teaching your children that the bunny is real.

Option 3: Redeem the Easter Bunny by using it intentionally

Some parents use the bunny as a conversation bridge:

• “The bunny is pretend, but Jesus rising from the dead is real.”
• “We search for hidden eggs, but Jesus was found alive from a tomb.”
• “The bunny brings treats, but Jesus brings eternal life.”

This keeps things fun without confusing reality and imagination.

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6. Practical Ways to Keep Christ at the Center (With or Without the Bunny)

Here are simple things you can begin this year:

✓ Start Easter morning with Scripture, prayer, and worship

Before baskets, read Luke 24 or John 20 together.

✓ Give your children a “Resurrection Basket”

Include a Bible, a devotional, or a family discipleship tool.

✓ Use an egg hunt to teach the Gospel

Some families include a “gospel egg” or “empty egg” representing the empty tomb.

✓ Dye eggs using colors that explain the gospel

• Black: Our sin — Romans 3:23
• Red: Jesus’ blood — 1 John 1:7
• White: Forgiveness — Isaiah 1:18
• Green: Growth — 2 Peter 3:18
• Blue: Baptism — Romans 6:4
• Gold (closing): Eternal life — 1 John 5:11

✓ Tell your kids the difference between pretend and real

This builds discernment.

✓ Make Easter worship non-negotiable

Center your celebration on church, not candy.

✓ Read a children’s book about the Resurrection during the week

Let them hear the story again and again.

✓ Tie Your Egg Hunt To The Women Looking For Jesus’ Body

Before releasing the kids to look for eggs, read Matthew 28:1-7.

✓ Talk about why Jesus’ resurrection matters personally

Forgiveness. Hope. Victory. Eternal life.
These truths shape their spiritual formation far more deeply than seasonal traditions.

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7. Give Other Families Grace

Just like with Santa, this is an area of Christian freedom.
Not doctrine.
Not sin.
Not a measure of holiness.

Romans 14 reminds us that differences in non-essential convictions are an opportunity for charity, not judgment.

Some families will opt out of Easter Bunny traditions.
Some will include them in small ways.
Some will dive all-in with baskets and hunts.

Give each other grace.
Honor conscience.
Keep unity.

Christ is risen—let’s not break fellowship over jelly beans.

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8. The Real Question: Is Jesus Celebrated?

You can have an Easter Bunny and still have a Christ-centered Easter.
You can skip the Easter Bunny and still miss Jesus entirely.

The difference is the heart of your celebration.

So ask:

• Is Jesus the center?
• Is the Resurrection clearly taught?
• Is the Gospel proclaimed in your home?
• Are your children learning to see Easter as the victory of King Jesus?

If so—whether you choose baskets, bunnies, or none of it—your family is celebrating Easter well.

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Final Encouragement

The goal of Christian parenting during Easter isn’t to win a debate about the Easter Bunny.
The goal is to raise children who are in awe of the crucified and risen Savior.

Let the empty tomb direct your traditions.
Let Scripture shape your conversations.
Let grace guide your decisions.

And whether the bunny shows up or not…make sure Jesus does.

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