A rchive Date
[ 23-10-2005 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Winnipeg/Lydia_Lovric/2005/03/21/967598.html
Are you ready for a Bunny of a different name?
By Lydia Lovric - Winnipeg Sun
Mon, March 21, 2005
The Easter Bunny has apparently hopped its way out of shopping malls in order to make way for the more inclusive Garden Bunny or Peter Rabbit.
In the latest bid to make all things politically correct, the fluffy white bunny has been given a makeover by some American malls so as not to offend certain customers. Easter eggs and Easter baskets are now just baskets and eggs (albeit very colourful eggs) and sending kids on an Easter egg hunt may leave them completely dumbfounded.
Closer to home, it's only a matter of time before malls across Canada adopt this new policy since we've already done away with most things Christmas. Nativity scenes have been replaced with holiday trees and Santa Claus (just don't tell mall managers that Santa means Saint). And clerks all croon the generic "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" even when customers lay down hundreds of dollars on Christmas gifts.
As someone who attended Catholic school, I have to admit I have no idea what a bunny has to do with Easter. But I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a single person who finds the Easter Bunny offensive.
Non-Christians may not celebrate Easter, but I doubt they're offended by the presence of Easter decorations. Likewise, I may not celebrate Passover, but if businesses wish to decorate their stores with Passover symbols, what's the harm?
It seems awfully hypocritically that malls would stock up on Easter-related inventory and then try to demote the occasion by altering traditional words or symbols.
I suppose "Happy Easter" will soon be switched to "Happy Spring" and Easter dresses and hats will now be special springtime outfits.
When I brought up this very issue during my talk-radio show, I couldn't get a single person to phone in and say that they had a problem with the Easter Bunny.
Call after call, men and women alike expressed their support for the fuzzy white rabbit and felt his identity crisis was unwarranted.
Don't get me wrong, if we were talking about city hall spending taxpayer money on Easter, I'd be the first person to make a fuss. I don't think governments should waste the time, energy or cash promoting religious festivities. Politicians have enough to worry about without getting involved in matters of theology.
But when shopping malls rely on these religious occasions in order to turn a profit, it's almost offensive that they would go out of their way to eradicate the characters and icons associated with the celebration.
After all, when you decorate your stores with giant white rabbits this time of year, you're not fooling anyone by changing the Easter Bunny's name.
Is it wrong to put up decorations for St. Patrick's Day because people who aren't Irish might feel left out?
Should we do away with Thanksgiving turkeys because the vegetarians might be offended?
If the customer is always right, let retailers know how you feel when Peter Rabbit takes over for the Easter Bunny or when Easter eggs are referred to as Rainbow eggs.
And when you're confronted with Springtime chocolates ask to see the Easter candy.
Business owners need to know that just because something may be politically correct doesn't mean it's politically popular.
Letters to the editor should be sent to: editor@wpgsun.com Home Page
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