Posted by: John S Kiernan

Easter is much more than an occasion to break out your Sunday best or hop into a bunny costume. It is a day of great religious significance for the roughly 71% of Americans who classify themselves as Christians, marking the resurrection of Jesus. And it actually takes place twice most years because of differences in the Western and Orthodox calendars.

Easter also is a big donation day for U.S. churches, thanks to the year’s highest attendance rates. It’s a significant revenue-driver for companies in the candy business. And it’s a source of divisiveness for those who feel strongly about the best way to eat a chocolate bunny or the best filling for a chocolate egg.

To help you better understand all aspects of Easter, WalletHub analyzed everything from how flush the Easter Bunny is feeling this year to how much candy and rabbit meat we eat. You can check out all the Easter factoids that we found in the infographic below. And that’s followed by a Q&A with a panel of experts on the holiday’s religious significance and commercialization. Happy Easter!

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Embed on your website<a href="https://ift.tt/2o2AOJV"> <img src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/posts/34569/2017-easter-by-the-numbers-v4.png" width="" height="" alt="" /> </a> <div style="width:px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2Gp2Yv9> Ask the Experts: Is Easter More Resurrection or Retail?

To learn more about the business of Easter and how to celebrate without spending too much, we posed the following questions to a panel of experts on religion and consumer studies. You can find their bios and responses below.

1. What tips do you have for celebrating Easter on a budget?
2. What are some of the big money wasters on Easter?
3. Has Easter become too commercial?
4. What money-saving tips do you have for people planning to travel for the Easter Holiday?

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• Yi-Lin Tsai Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware
• Thomas Haffey Instructor of Marketing in the College of Business and Professional Studies at the Mississippi University for Women
• Carolyn Popp Garrity Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Michael E. Stephens College of Business at the University of Montevallo

Yi-Lin Tsai Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware

What tips do you have for celebrating Easter on a budget?

You want to buy what you need instead of purchasing because of the deep discounts. Once you have a shopping list, take advantage of price tracking tools (or price-tracker apps) to determine when the right time to make the purchase is.

What money-saving tips do you have for people planning to travel for the Easter Holiday?

Use price comparison websites. Try searching on different devices because deals on a laptop can be quite different from the deals on a mobile phone or tablet.

Thomas Haffey Instructor of Marketing in the College of Business and Professional Studies at the Mississippi University for Women

What tips do you have for celebrating Easter on a budget?

Like everything in life, it always helps to attempt to keep to a defined budget. Candy and gifts can be a large, recurring expense. If brand name candies are important, then a family’s best bet may be to compare the sales of various grocery and big-box stores and look for the best deal on a chosen chocolate. The same goes with special menu items like hams -- be a smart shopper. On the flip side, dollar stores can provide a lot of value for a small price, if the parents or the children are able to find joy in the candy inside the wrapper more so than the name on the outside.

Some of the accessories of Easter, such as a child’s basket, can be a larger purchase if a quality one is selected, perhaps with monogramming or other personalization, but that can also then serve for years to come without additional expense. Again, dollar stores also offer inexpensive options that may be more expendable, such as a plastic bucket style. It is going to depend somewhat on the desires for an heirloom versus initial expenses. The Easter clothes can be a big expense as families will often wish to get new outfits for family portraits after church, special egg-hunting events, or family get-togethers. Re-sale and consignment shops can be a huge cost saver here, as those clothes that are bought brand new for this special occasion are often then hung right back up and put in the closet. During clean-out of smaller sizes from the kids’ wardrobe, these outfits are often still in near-perfect shape and available at a significant discount.

Lastly, like a lot of holiday and seasonal merchandise, always pay attention to the clearance sales after the festivities are done. Even if you can’t afford the fancy basket or big fluffy bunny at full price this year, most stores are going to mark down those items 50, 75, maybe even 90 percent in the couple weeks afterward. Stock up on non-perishables now for next year.

What are some of the big money wasters on Easter?

Family traditions can become very expensive, or be tailored to be more economical. If a tradition is set on big presents almost like a birthday or Christmas celebration, then costs can soar. Also, the ready-packaged baskets complete with toys, candy, etc., may be convenient, but there is usually at a big premium over buying separate pieces and putting together your own personalized package.

Has Easter in America become too commercial?

Like so much, the cultural artifacts around holidays have evolved, and Easter is no different. While the holiday should be focused on the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it obviously has instead become focused on candy, eggs, and pictures with rabbits. I applaud companies and organizations that still seek to the marry the religious basis with the secular evolution effectively. While a chocolate cross may not be the most reverent display of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, at least it gives parents another opportunity to discuss with their children about these important matters.

Important Biblical films such as The Ten Commandments and more cohesively The Passion of the Christ may see more airtime, as well. Churches see some of their biggest attendances at Christmas and Easter as even families that may not make God a central tenet of their lives still see the importance and value of bringing their children. Churches may provide their own egg hunts, concerts, or dramatic presentations to appeal to those who regularly attend, as well as other families that may be looking for activities in their community. So, while the commercialization of the holiday -- much like Christmas -- has provided a heavy secular theme, the underlying foundation can still be seen and felt if one is looking.

Carolyn Popp Garrity Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Michael E. Stephens College of Business at the University of Montevallo

What tips do you have for celebrating Easter on a budget?

Don't get trapped in consumerism. It really is not necessary to buy brand new outfits for the holiday -- consignment stores or thrift shops are a great option, especially for children. These "fancy" clothes tend to be very gently worn (if they were worn at all), and much more affordable than buying new.

Another option is to purchase basics that you can dress up. An example for girls, adding a nice cardigan to a pretty, but casual beach dress will provide multiple future mix and match options. For boys, you can dress up a pair of khaki pants or shorts with a collared shirt or cardigan -- both of which can be worn again.

If you are shopping for candy on a budget, try Aldi. They have high-quality chocolates and dye-free candies at a fraction of the cost of most other retailers.

What are some of the big money wasters on Easter?

The biggest money wasters for Easter:

• Purchasing brand new outfits that don't match people's lifestyles. If you don't typically dress up, then investing in dressy clothes really doesn't make sense, especially for children -- since they will have grown too much to wear them the next year. It would be better to buy some basic clothing that you dress up with accessories.
• Overly expensive baskets to serve as Easter baskets. It is not necessary to use a personalized Easter basket -- trust me, kids will remember which basket theirs is. Similarly, the overly cute, overly decorated baskets don't make the treats taste any better. Stick with a basic basket that you use year after year. If you want them to be different every year, you can decorate them with some ribbons and fake flowers.
• Also, do not buy the pre-packed baskets. They might look impressive, but they are filled with poor-quality toys that don't get used, and low-quality candy. You are better off creating your own basket with few items of better quality. Just borrow a trick from those pre-packaged baskets and use a lot of filling to make the basket look fuller.