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| 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.
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Also
available with red, blue, or ivory ribbon.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Something
for every-bunny’s taste.
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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.
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Hot
cross buns:
fruitless,
chocolate, chocolate brioche, and traditional
NZ$4
(~US$2.40) per bag
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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.]
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| 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.
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Only
two of many, many choices of candy eggs.
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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!
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| For anyone who missed the 17 other Easter displays in the store |
