Parents Embracing Traditions Around the Sweet Celebration of Easter

Nearly 80 percent of American parents will be "helping" the Easter Bunny this year by creating and sharing seasonal baskets with their children, according to a recent national survey by the National Confectioners Association. Ninety percent of those baskets will feature chocolate, candy, gum or mints.

On Easter morning, children will awaken to baskets filled with seasonal favorites like chocolate bunnies and eggs, marshmallow candies and jelly beans. According to survey findings, 91 percent of parents have a plan in place to talk to their children about balance and moderation when it comes to sweets and treats.

"Americans understand that candy is fun treat that can be enjoyed in moderation at Easter and throughout the year," said John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association. "As a father and grandfather myself, I can relate to families around the country who embrace the unique role candy plays in happy, family celebrations and I applaud the moms and dads who are using holidays as a chance to teach their children solid nutrition habits and the importance of moderation."

NCA projects that retail sales of Easter candy in 2016 will be nearly $2.4 billion (up 1.4 percent from 2015), a boost to the U.S. economy that helps support 55,000 manufacturing jobs. The strong sales period also supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in related industries – from companies who make silicone molds in which manufacturers craft the season's celebrated chocolate bunnies to the retail employees who place those chocolate bunnies on store shelves.

More than 80 percent of Americans believe that candy is a treat, and it's one that makes holidays even more special. Most people in the U.S. enjoy candy about twice per week, averaging less than 50 calories per day from confectionery items.

More than 100 million chocolate bunnies will be produced for Easter 2016, along with millions of chocolate eggs. NCA's new survey found that when it comes to those eggs, Americans prefer them filled with ingredients like chocolate ganache, peanut butter or caramel (52%) as compared to solid (32%) or hollow eggs (16%).

In addition to sharing Easter baskets, Americans have embraced dozens of other traditions to celebrate the Easter holiday from hunting for hard-boiled or plastic eggs filled with treats and surprises (71 percent of households with children) to dyeing and decorating eggs (79%). As many as 10 percent of households with children even set up and decorate an Easter tree.