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Easter BasketsIt has been estimated that around 90% of children in the US receive some form of gift-filled Easter basket during the holiday season. It's worth noting that this estimate comes from the National Confectioners Association (NCA) whose members sell many of the candy treats and chocolate eggs. A recent NCA survey also discovered that chocolate bunnies are the most popular Easter basket item - some 90 million are sold every year. Jelly beans come second with a staggering 16 billion jelly beans sold annually.With increasing awareness of health issues, some parents are reducing the amount of sugar treats and instead adding non-edible gifts and toys as basket stuffers.
The History of the Easter BasketThe tradition of a bountiful Easter basket goes back a long way before our modern consumer driven version. Spring has always been seen as a time of rebirth and blessing and the fertility godddess Eostre (or Oestre) was sometimes depicted carrying a basket of eggs. It was traditional to take baskets of early seedlings to temples to increase the chance of a good harvest.This ancient custom is reflected in the Catholic tradition of taking the Easter food to mass to be blessed. The Easter basket was especially popular in the countries of central and Eastern Europe. It appears to have been brought to the USA in the 18th century by the same German settlers who introduced the Easter bunny.
In earlier times when Easter bonnets were at their most popular
it was common for the bonnet to be used in place of a basket.
There has always been a tradition of home made baskets. Over recent years - with the
general increase in popularity of home crafts such as scrapbooking - DIY easter baskets
have increased in popularity. Even people who don't consider themselves to have
basket-making skills often like to add little personal touches such as ribbons and
decorations to store bought baskets.
When properly supervised, making an Easter basket can be a fun activity for kids.
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