Both sides can agree on family flavor of Easter

First it was Christmas. Then it was Halloween. Now Easter seems to be one of the holidays that retailers count on to keep their doors open and cash registers ringing.

This year, 77.6 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Easter, and the average shopper expects to spend $121.72 on Easter, up from $96.51 last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Part of the reason has to do with the calendar -- Easter falls later in the spring season, when shoppers are more likely to buy clothing for the holiday.

"After a long, cold winter, consumers are ready to pack away their scarves and gloves and hit the stores for their spring wardrobe," said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. "The seasonal weather should allow many apparel retailers to breathe a sigh of relief."

But consumers will be dedicating almost a third of their Easter budget to food purchases -- $36.44. Another $22.87 will go to clothes, $18.62 to gifts, $16.65 to candy, $8.02 to flowers, $6.36 to decorations and $6.51 to greeting cards.

Other Easter facts:

* Easter accounts for 15 percent of floral purchases made for the holidays. And, last year, 53 percent of the Easter purchases were lilies, according to the Society of American Florists.

* According to the National Confectioners Association, 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies and 16 billion jelly beans are made for Easter each year.

* Marshmallow PEEPS have been hailed as the top selling non-chocolate Easter candy brand for the last decade, outselling jelly beans.

But like Christmas, Easter is a holiday over which Christians feel compelled to decry commercialism. Some go so far as banning Easter bunnies and eggs from the holiday decorations.

In fact, Christians could argue that Easter carries more importance than Christmas, since it is the time they believe Jesus arose after being crucified. And, the traditional Christmas performance of Handel's "Messiah" might be more appropriately presented at Easter time -- as it was for its first performance.

It's a conflict that has been going on since ancient times, when the first Christian missionaries to the British Isles sought to pre-empt an ancient Saxon celebration of the return of spring with a wild festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and springtime, Eastre.

Neither is the Easter bunny a modern invention, also having originated with the festival of Eastre. In fact, the goddess was worshiped by the Anglo Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.

The Easter rabbit came to America with the Germans, but both it and the Easter holiday were mostly ignored by other Christians until after the Civil War.

But today, both secular and religious sides can agree on one point about Sunday's holiday -- it's a good time to get together with family and friends. And, it's a good time to make memories that will carry on for years to come.

Whether at church services or just munching down a chocolate Easter bunny, a happy holiday to you and yours.