I remember asking my mother, "Mom, how does a bunny carry baskets and get into our house without a key?" She looked at me and said, "Well Elena, the Easter Bunny is a special bunny. He is larger than most bunnies and has been trained to carry baskets. He doesn't need a key because just like Santa, he always finds his way into the house." That still didn't make sense to me so I said "But how mom? We have an alarm, won't that go off when he comes in?" I will always remember her response. She said "No, the Easter Bunny is not a bad guy and the alarm protects us from bad guys." I looked at her and said, "Oh OK, that makes sense. The Easter Bunny is really good and brings us presents." That was the end of that discussion.
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Anytime I saw a bunny from that point on, that bunny symbolized Easter and chocolate and egg hunts. I would even feel sorry for that bunny because I saw how small it was and knew it would never be big enough to be the Easter Bunny. I found myself feeling sad for every bunny I saw, not realizing that no one else felt that way. To anyone else looking at that bunny, they saw a cute, fluffy rabbit. It's no surprise that when I finally learned that my parents were in fact the "Easter Bunny", I was crushed and confused. You mean to tell me that all these years I ACTUALLY BELIEVED that a fluffy bunny came into my home, carrying baskets, and left presents? What was I thinking?
That experience taught me that other people have the ability to sway a person's interpretation of a symbol. Especially if it is a parental figure, someone who plays such a strong role in your life and who dictates to you right from wrong. A symbol can have multiple interpretations, it all just depends on who is providing the interpretation. That is the beauty of it. My parents let me believe that every bunny was the Easter Bunny because if they tried to convince me otherwise, their story of the Easter Bunny would unravel and they would be exposed. To be honest, of all the stories my parents told me when I was little, this is the one I wish was true.
I really enjoyed your post, too cute. It's so true though, the easter bunny is a symbol we have all known since we were very young. I actually find it kind of funny how parents can persuade their naive children into thinking that there is a big magical bunny who gives them gifts for easter. It's even more comical when children become more inquisitive about these mythical creatures and parents must invent elaborate stories to prove their existence. I still remember the disappointment I felt when I found out Santa wasn't real. These symbols are something that we can pretty much all relate to.
ReplyDeleteI still remember my indignation when i discovered the easter bunny was not real, and as such really enjoyed your blog. I also really liked how you presented the fairytale creatures, such as the easter bunny and santa, as symbols. While i know they are in fact symbols, there ever-present nature can sometimes make them appear as only tradition, but I find it extremely interesting to discover that they are so much more to individuals, representing countless interpretations.
ReplyDeleteThis story made me think of when i first realized the easter bunny wasn't real. I have a sister around 6 years older then me and she was having a birthday party. They were talking about how ridiculous there parents were for thinking they still believed in the easter bunny. I was completely crushed, I ran to my mom crying saying it couldn't be true. She told me it was true and that she was sorry. I acted like she was lying to me about my whole life. She ended up getting me a kitten that easter and we never talked about it again. Overall i wish the easter bunny was true because it reminded me of chocolate bunnies and brunch with my gramdma's. Now all i think about is my favorite cat Garfield, so every year i give her a birthday party on easter.
ReplyDeleteYour parents were very clever when it came to answering your questions about the Easter bunny. If my future children ask the same questions you did I will probably steal the answers your parents gave. When I was little, I was afraid of everything, including the Easter bunny. It really freaked me out that this giant bunny was going to be in my house even though he gave us candy and unlike most kids who tried to sneak out of their room and see the Easter bunny, I would hide in my room under my covers until my parents told me the Easter bunny was gone. In order to keep me from being terrified my parents told me early on that the Easter bunny was not real and for me it was a relief.
ReplyDeleteI find your symbolism for the Eater Bunny to be very accurate and incredibly adorable. I feel that a lot of kids, including myself when I was young, will interpret these mystical holiday creatures as something that is so real and exciting. Overall, the Easter Bunny symbolizes childhood because it isn't real, and most of us are taught to believe in it as a kid. What is different is that we are all told different stories about these creatures, leaving the interpretation of them open ended. When I was younger, I thought the Easter Bunny was a chocolate bunny, hence the chocolate eggs. It is still 'till this day where i get hungry just by the sound of its name. Even though we all believed in these holiday characters, our explication of them could be completely different.
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