I like chocolate almost as much as I like shoes. And although shoes (namely those of the heeled variety) make me look taller and skinnier, chocolate seems to only do the opposite – though both release endorphins and make me happy. It has been a source of constant amusement for me over the past few Easters when chocolatier Jessica Walker has produced shoe shaped chocolates (and handbags) for the princess in all of us. It’s love at first bite.
But at what cost are these precious gems of delight? My mother has always taught me that you should never pay more than 1 cent per gram when it comes to chocolate – for example your 250gram block of Cadbury should be $2.48 – but that was when I was a kid. With inflation and the like, that block is now only 200grams and the price is close to double that figure. Bung the word Easter if front of it and the price doubles again. It seems Easter is the Wedding of the chocolate world. Just the mere mention of it sees the price of goods soar and so too the demand for all things related. No longer are the children of today content with one chocolate egg, they want kilos of the stuff. Whose big idea was it to introduce gifts at Easter? It’s not Christmas for God’s sake. And while we are at it – that’s what Easter is really meant to be all about – God, Jesus and the whole kit and caboodle. Not chocolate. Certainly not gifts (there is some debate as to whether this is what Christmas is about but that’s an argument for another column).
Retailers plaster popular characters on Easter Eggs for the kids; add a mug with favourite car brands on it for dad or a soft toy to appeal to new mothers. New and innovative flavours come out, decadent fillings and richer, darker, varieties for the sweet tooth in all of us. What used to be a symbolic gesture of new life is now a money making venture of the highest degree. Cadbury Australia starts production on Easter Eggs up to 8 months before the actual calendar event takes place – a massive undertaking for an industry worth billions.
What happened to the simple days of colouring in an oval shape with a zig zag across it at kindergarten? Or making an Easter Card for your grandparents? What about having your mum hard boil an egg and painting it with the kids next door when the school holidays started? Or hiding 100 little tiny eggs in the garden and having a street full of kids over only to find half a dozen and be thrilled? We have become a nation of greedy overeaters who take advantage of the wealth we have been bestowed and use it to abuse our bodies and minds.
How about only buying your kids one egg this Easter? Instead of giving your child another excuse to sit in front of a video game eating and contributing to our nations obesity problem, how about spending some time with your children and being crafty? Remember putting a pin hole in each end of an egg and blowing out the contents without breaking it? I used to think my painted eggs were real treasures. Cook a painted egg for breakfast and cut your toast into soldiers (ahh, toast soldiers, those were the days. I am so showing my age). Your kids really don’t need Dora the Explorer paper on their chocolate or another Ben 10 mug. At the end of the day, the kid is probably just as happy with a block of Cadbury (seriously, so much better value for money than the egg variety) that belongs to them and them alone. Let them eat the lot in one hit and make themselves sick. They will only do it once. Alternatively, I used to hoard mine until everyone else had eaten all of theirs, and then gloat that I still had some – only to be told I had to share – but you should always advocate sharing.
There are lots of Easter activities that will get you and your family up and moving this Easter instead of eating chocolate like there will be none left after April 4. If you feel you can wait and your kids are slightly older than the ones who believe a big white bunny hops around the world (without the use of a sleigh, I mean come on) hit the after Easter sales on Easter Monday. You can get the ‘good’ chocolate for the half the price – just make sure you are there when the store opens.
The Easter long weekend is still a great chance for your family to be together, to get away and to enjoy chocolate in moderation (all the while remembering the true meaning of Easter). Don’t let the pressure of ‘what the other kids in the class got’ force you into spoiling a child who neither needs nor probably deserves $50 worth of chocolate in one hit. The value of time and activity is far greater and will provide much greater enjoyment.
Have a happy Easter everyone, drive safely on our roads and remember – once on the lips, forever on the hips.
For good, fun, wholesome activities to partake in this Easter, google ‘Easter Activities’ for hundreds of crafty ideas that will see you through the school holidays and beyond.
