At its core, Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus. That fact hasn’t changed. However, what has changed is everything built around it, because whenever you walk into a store or scroll social media, you’ll see a bunch of Easter-related things that have nothing to do with church. It’s simply chocolate & egg hunts instead. Here are seven reasons Christians think Easter no longer belongs to them.
1. The bunny
It’s hard to exaggerate how big the Easter Bunny has become, despite having no real connection to the resurrection story. It likely comes from German folklore traditions brought to America in the 1700s. Historians like Stephen Nissenbaum of the University of Massachusetts have written about how seasonal traditions like these evolve into something far more cultural than religious.
As a result, when kids think of Easter, they tend to imagine a rabbit with candy instead of anything that’s related to the church. Such a change didn’t exactly happen overnight. However, the Easter bunny is pretty much all young people care about during this time, and a lot of Christians take issue with that.
2. The biggest ritual
Surprisingly, the most famous Easter event in the U.S. isn’t actually a church gathering, but rather, the White House Easter Egg Roll. The tradition dates back to 1878 during Rutherford B. Hayes’ presidency, and the focus of the event has always been games & rolling eggs. Family entertainment takes priority over it all.
Since there’s no religious service attached to the event, some Christians are unhappy with this event being one of the most visible national Easter traditions. They don’t think it should be separate from worship. After all, the contrast feels rather strange for them because of what the day is supposed to represent.
3. The food
Easter has become a major candy season for grocery stores throughout March and April. In fact, the National Confectioners Association reported that Easter candy sales reached about $5.6 billion in 2025. Over 90% of Americans include candy and sweet treats as part of their celebrations.
But that huge number poses a problem for some Christians. They’re unhappy with how things like chocolate bunnies and jelly beans have become a symbol of the holiday’s identity, particularly for kids.
4. Family plans
Try asking people what they’re doing on Easter. Chances are, church probably isn’t their first answer anymore, and data from the National Retail Federation found that cooking meals & visiting family often rank higher for many Americans than attending services. More than half of families with kids plan egg hunts at home.
But that’s not all. The Pew Research Center has found that there has been a gradual decline in regular church attendance in the U.S., meaning that while people still recognize Easter, the way they spend their day has changed. The church is no longer as important for the whole experience. No wonder so many Christians feel annoyed.
5. Online shopping
Similarly, a lot of old Easter traditions used to involve going out, like heading to the store to buy candy or pick decorations. But not anymore. You can browse stores from your phone, and stores are very aware of that fact, which is one of the reasons that e-commerce takes a bigger share of retail spending each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
This increase in digital spending includes spending during seasonal periods like Easter. Rather than walking through decorated stores or local markets, families choose to order baskets & outfits online. They rarely bother leaving their house to purchase supplies. As a result, the feel of the season has become far more individual & more home-based, which takes away the old connection to shared community spaces.
6. Easter branding
Have a close look at store signs over the Easter period, and you might notice something special. A lot of the big retailers no longer use the word “Easter” much anymore, and they’ll choose instead to say things like “spring deals” or “seasonal picks.” A few of them won’t even do that. No, they’ll stick to pastel-themed displays with no label at all as a way of appealing to everyone, rather than only religious shoppers.
The holiday is still there in practice with the eggs, candy & baskets, yet the name itself gets pushed to the side. It’s almost as if the reason for the season is no longer important. That’s something quite a few Christians are able to pick on, and they’re not exactly feeling positive about it all.
7. Social media trends
Even the things people post during Easter now feel very different from even a decade ago, and you’ll see plenty of outfits & brunch tables on sites like Instagram and TikTok. There are pastel decorations and egg hunts practically everywhere. Yes, it’s very visual, and yes, it’s very styled, but what happened to the real meaning of Christmas?
It’s not hard to find the answer to that. Social media platforms push whatever gets engagement, with photos & short videos often doing the best, so that’s the version of Easter that most people see online. The aesthetic side takes priority over the church part. That’s not to say that the religious side doesn’t exist, but it’s hardly what spreads the fastest or the widest.
The biggest difference of all is in terms of how many different versions of Easter now exist at the same time. You have the church service and the family gathering, alongside the candy-filled version in stores. They don’t necessarily cancel each other out because they simply sit side by side. However, for some Christians, that overlap is exactly where the issue lies. The religious side of Easter no longer feels like the main thing holding everything else together.
