NOT IN AUSTRALIA NOR IN NEW ZEALAND FOR EASTER Guest post by Caroline Hatton

Chocolate Easter Bunnies, New Zealand

My friend and fellow children’s book author Caroline visited New Zealand in March 2020. She is now safe at home in California. She took all the photos in this post.

Also available with red, blue, or ivory ribbon.

My husband and I had looked forward to going to New Zealand and Australia in March and April 2020, flying home to Los Angeles on the Tuesday after Easter. As with every trip, anticipation was a large part of my pleasure. I started reading in advance about Easter in Australia. I even took notes to start writing a guest blog post about it!

Easter treats available in every aisle.

With zero COVID-19 cases on the South Island where we spent all our time, stores were uncrowded and fully stocked.

The Friday and Monday before and after Easter are Australian public holidays so people have more time to eat chocolate bunnies. Children get a school break so they have time to recover from eating too many chocolate bunnies.

Something for every-bunny’s taste.

Instead of the Easter bunny, which glorifies a non-native animal considered a pest because it damages the environment, an alternative star for the occasion was apparently, for some years, the Easter bilby, an endangered Australian marsupial who benefited from heightened public awareness and fundraising from chocolate sales. Unfortunately, this interest didn’t last.

Hot cross buns:

fruitless, chocolate, chocolate brioche, and traditional

NZ$4 (~US$2.40) per bag

Hot cross buns, I learned, are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, the Christian holiday that commemorates the day Jesus was crucified on the Cross. They are soft, and apparently best hot and buttered. [Note from the editor: Hot cross buns, decorated with an icing "X" on the top, are delicious. The sweet bread dough is flavored with chunks of citron. They are also available in grocery stores in the U.S. during Lent.]

Easter Bunny Cookie

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding worldwide, along with increasing travel restrictions. We made it to New Zealand, but not to Australia. Instead, we truncated our trip and flew home two and a half weeks before Easter, as New Zealand went into lockdown, requiring everyone to stay home in order to reduce contagion risks.

Only two of many, many choices of candy eggs.

Yet I got to see Easter goodies in New Zealand where bakeries and supermarkets were already selling them over a month in advance. I can’t comment on their taste, since I didn’t eat any, because I don’t like sweets. The best I can do is share what I did experience.

As of this writing, New Zealand will be in lockdown over Easter 2020, with all children stuck at home. Fortunately, adults are allowed to go shop for groceries. They can bring back the essentials!

For anyone who missed the 17 other Easter displays in the store