Easter is the most holy of Christian celebrations, marking the resurrection of Christ. Christian Americans celebrate Easter in the church, but Easter has also become a holiday celebrated by people of all faiths in America, with a non-secular tone.
The non-secular mascot for Easter in America is the Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny is a fictional creature, similar to Santa Claus. On the evening before Easter, children will set out baskets for the Easter Bunny. When the children sleep, the baskets are filled with treats and hidden somewhere in the home. In the morning, the children search through the home looking for their baskets. Many parents allow their children to believe that the Easter Bunny is real. The Easter Bunny is depicted as a large rabbit, usually wearing clothes, carrying a basket full of treats.
Traditional treats for an Easter basket include Easter Eggs, jelly beans and chocolates. Easter Eggs are traditionally hard-boiled eggs that have been dyed various colors. The chocolates are often made into shapes of eggs and bunnies.
Many communities will host Easter egg hunts for children. At these events, children bring their empty baskets, and look for treats hidden by the event organizers. Candy and other treats are often hidden inside hollow plastic eggs.
American families will have special meals to celebrate the Easter holiday. The traditional Easter meal includes ham. Side dishes that go along with the ham dinner are not as typical from family to family, but usually will include potatoes and vegetables. Many restaurants will have special brunch menus on Easter. It is customary to dress nicely at Easter.
The traditional colors for Easter celebrations consist of pastel blues, pinks, purples and yellow.