“Is it even Easter if you don’t get a new bike?”
So asks Judy Newton, a mother of three in Philadelphia, in a recent video on TikTok.
In the weeks before Easter this Sunday, social media feeds have been full of videos of parents filling baskets with more than just the usual marshmallow Peeps. Instead, they are packing blankets, stuffed animals, shoes and knickknacks into large wicker baskets, tote bags or plastic buckets. And, yes, they are also giving bikes.
“When you see some people post their videos on social media, it looks like Christmas morning,” Ms. Newton said. “Now these kids are getting that for Easter.”
Baskets have, of course, long been associated with Easter. But in the age of influencer-driven consumption, Easter has been joined by Halloween (“boo baskets”), Christmas (“brr baskets”), Valentine’s Day and virtually every other holiday (“Leprechaun baskets” for St. Patrick’s Day) as social media encourages people to celebrate by spending lavishly.
The Easter Bunny can hardly keep up.
“Every holiday now, we make baskets,” said Talia Stenson, a mother and social media content creator in Sacramento. “And I think as the years have gone on, people just go above and beyond with these baskets, and now they’re almost a little too overboard.”
Ms. Stenson, 30, said that she gave bikes to her three children, ages 9, 7 and 4, for Easter last year. When she realized that she planned to get her children new Easter baskets and new bikes, she decided to combine the concepts — filling the bike baskets with colorful plastic grass, toys, books, stuffed animals and Easter eggs.
And while Ms. Stenson admitted that she could go “over the top,” she said that she grew up with a single father who worked to make holidays feel special, and that she was trying to do the same for her own children.
Michael Block, a marketing professor at Northwestern University, said that more Americans — 93 percent — say they celebrate Christmas annually than any other holiday, according to a survey of nearly 8,000 people conducted in March. The Fourth of July was second at 87.2 percent, followed by Mother’s Day at 84 percent. Nearly 80 percent said they celebrate Easter, the Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion.
And while the number of people celebrating Easter has decreased slightly in recent years, spending in some categories, such as food and décor, has actually increased, he added.
“I suspect that even those that might claim no religious affiliation have children, and there are other children celebrating, and that’s why they’re doing it,” Dr. Block said.
Tell us: What are you planning to put in your kids’ Easter baskets?
Many parents are pushing back, taking to social media to contrast their “realistic” and “toned-down” baskets with the more ostentatious alternatives. The simpler baskets feature classic treats such as candy, chalk and plastic eggs with chocolate pieces inside.
“I do think that a lot of things have gotten really commercialized, which is fine if that’s something that brings you a lot of joy,” said Alex MacLaren, a mother from Nova Scotia who posts budget-friendly content on social media. “But it does obviously put pressure on a lot of people.”
Danielle Stanley, 28, of Maine, whose daughters are 5 and 2, said that since she began creating social media content, she has felt pressure to give her children more. But she has carved out a niche this year, showcasing smaller, more affordable Easter gifts from Walmart and Dollar Tree. Many mothers have reached out to thank her, she said, for promoting a more “grounded” approach.
“Being a content creator on social media, especially a mom content creator in this field, you’ve got to be able to hold your ground,” Ms. Stanley said. “I think that’s where the problem lies with social media — there’s always that person saying, ‘OK, how can I take this one step higher?’”
Ms. Newton, the mother from Philadelphia, said that, in her family, getting a bike for Easter is a longtime custom dating to when she was a child. But as her three children, who are 5, 14 and 23, grew up, Ms. Newton has watched trends change, and said she had gotten caught up in a few of them herself.
“I did fall into the trap,” she said, noting that her middle daughter learned about the elaborate holiday basket trend from social media. “For Valentine’s Day, I was buying her jewelry and gifts. And I’m like, ‘This is crazy. My parents didn’t buy me this.’”
Three years ago, Ms. Newton said, she sat her children down and recalibrated expectations, telling them that the most they would get on a secondary holiday like Easter was a box of chocolates and maybe a stuffed animal.
“We’re over all of the wasting money,” she said. “We’re burned out from it all and we’re smarter now.”
Ms. MacLaren, in Nova Scotia, said that she used to judge parents who went too far for Easter. But she became more understanding, she said, after learning that some parents have made it a bigger gift-giving holiday than even Christmas because their tax refund meant they had more cash on hand.
In her household, she said, she was still keeping things simple, with her children set to receive chocolates, bubble-making kits and chalk. At the end of the day, Ms. MacLaren noted, these presents are meant to be from the Easter Bunny.
“It’s a bunny,” she said. “What can he carry?”
