The " Bunny " that stole Easter !

Something strange is happening in the days preceding this Easter.   Easter eggs seem to have disappeared - and been replaced with chocolate Bunnies !

Every past Easter Coles, Woolies and all the discount variety stores have had massive displays of Easter eggs.   They came in a range of sizes and prices varied from little ones at 50 c - up through $ 1.50, $2 and $ 3 to Easter eggs the size of a football - and costing an arm and a leg.    These displays were massive and discounting began as early as Easter Eve.   The first trading day after Good Friday the price of Easter eggs dropped by fifty percent, and dropped still further as stocks were cleared.    It seems that Easter eggs were not something to be sent back to the stock room to await next year's Easter.

This year, those shelves are bare.  There are plenty of Easter novelties, but Easter eggs are few and far between.   In their place are rows of Easter Bunnies - and to many people - Easter is simply  not Easter without Easter eggs.

Families with little children will certainly miss the traditional Easter Sunday " Easter egg hunt " in their garden settings, and it seems puzzling why such a hallowed institution has changed so dramatically this year.

Perhaps China is clueless in understanding the Easter customs of the Australian public, but that seems unlikely because these Easter bunnies on sale - are made in Germany.    Perhaps the demise of Darrel Lea has caused Australian confectionery firms to think they can't compete on price - and now nobody is supplying this Easter market.   Perhaps the shopping industry badly overestimated demand last year and made a loss on egg sales - and dumped the line this Easter.

Hopefully, this is not another of those " cultural things " - that saw most signs of Christmas banned because they might offend new settlers from other religious persuasions - who do not celebrate Christmas.   Surely the Easter egg is not to lose an Australian identity in the name of " multiculturalism " !

Today's lack of Easter Eggs came as a shock to many people.   At the same time, that other Easter staple - Hot Cross buns - seem to have escaped the attention of the " religious banning of icons " people and is now sold on a whole year basis.

We want our Easter eggs back !   It is simply not Easter without them and the voice of the people will demand a re-think.    " Bunnies " are fine - but they are a poor substitute for Easter eggs !