Easter Bunny

I believe in the Easter bunny. No, not the hopped up and over-marketed Easter bunny, but the real one. When I was a little kid, I once woke up very early on Easter. I was up before the people going to Easter Sunrise. I was looking for the Easter basket. Ok, I was looking for chocolate. I searched the house in darkness, and found nothing. Nada. Zero. No basket. No eggs. No chocolate. I was traumatized. My tears woke up my parents. They took me into their room, and there was a pale green dump truck filled with chocolate.

It is here. Easter Sunday. It's a very pleasant holiday, no? Aside from the enormous religious implications, there are none of the stress-inducing pressures of some other holidays, which shall remain unnamed. A new outfit maybe, a family dinner on Easter Sunday, chocolate bunnies, spring flowers, blue skies -- it's all good. An outpouring of readers -- as long as you consider three an outpouring -- has asked that I dust off the "abbreviated history of Easter" that I offered some years ago. Let's compromise, you little chocolate bunny you. We'll do something old, something new, but all guaranteed to be utterly useless information, as always.

Kyley Dow hopes the Easter Bunny approves of fruit as much as he does vegetables. While visiting with Mr. Bunny at South Coast Plaza on Sunday, 4-year-old Kyley was asked "if I've been eating my vegetables." Kyley admitted he told the Easter Bunny he hadn't been eating his veggies, but he had been eating fruit, so he still has high hopes he'll get some candy in his Easter basket. Kyley's mom, Kinga, who was in the neighborhood on a business trip from Santa Fe, N.M., figured a visit to the mall's Carousel Court would be just the right place to get a picture of Kyley with the Easter Bunny.

Time for the bunnies. You know, "In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it..." etc, etc. I didn't write that. Irving Berlin did, in 1933. It was used as the title song for the 1948 film "Easter Parade," starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. Berlin was such an institution by then that even though the song was his one contribution to the film, it was billed as "Irving Berlin's Easter Parade." That was just fine with Judy Garland, who at the advanced age of 26, was still trying to get the public to see her as something, anything, other than Dorothy.

Perched atop a faux grass platform in front of the carousel, the mechanical Easter Bunny held court at South Coast Plaza on Friday. “I’ve had a few kids today who were scared, but I usually just say, ‘Let’s sit down and talk about it,’” said the Easter Bunny, a 3-foot-tall, furry creature manned by a mysterious, behind-the-scenes puppeteer who talks in a high-pitched voice. “Santa Claus is a good friend of mine,” the bunny said.

Andrew Glazer COSTA MESA -- Dozens stood in line -- some with wide eyes and smiles, many others frozen in fear, clutching their mothers' hands. But traditions are traditions and each spring, children must meet and greet the Easter Bunny. "I've got to welcome them with open arms whether they like it or not," said Kathy Liotta, who played the role of Easter Bunny at the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen on Friday. Roughly 1,000 children and their parents came to pick up Easter baskets and stuffed animals, pose for Polaroid photos with the Easter Bunny and feast from a buffet of roasted ham, yams, potatoes, green beans and salad.

BARK 1 America's Family Pet Expo runs Friday through Sunday at the Orange County Fair & Exposition Center. The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors (60 and older) and $3 for children (6 to 12). Call (626) 447-2222 for more information. EARTH DAY 2 The Fairview Park Friends Committee of Costa Mesa invites the community to participate in the first annual Earth Day in the Park at Fairview Park and quarterly "Friends" kickoff meeting on Saturday.

Easter is upon us once again, that unofficial late start of spring that brings families together in celebration of spirituality and renewal. Though the Easter holiday is considered the most sacred of religious dates on the Christian calendar, it's also become an important culinary event marked by elaborate brunches. Visitors and locals of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa have dozens of brunch options to chose from this weekend, along with a few Easter egg events for children. As always, it's best to make reservations if you're planning a brunch out: Easter Bunny: A couple of shopping centers will have the Easter Bunny on hand through Saturday evening.

NEWPORT BEACH — With a 6-foot-tall white rabbit in front of her, 5-year-old Maya Graves leaned on her new friend for the day as she attempted to touch to his soft fur. Savannah Rogers, 17, helped the visually impaired Maya connect her hand with the Easter Bunny, but Maya quickly pulled back her hand. Yet the little one quickly wanted to try once more. "I want to shake his hand again," Maya said. Maya was one of about 30 students ages 3 to 7 from the Blind Children's Learning Center at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort on Friday for a special Easter event filled with activities that involve touch.

Treasure map in hand, kids at the swap meet in Costa Mesa will have a chance to search out a plastic egg containing a golden ticket at the Orange County Market Place’s free Easter Festival and Treasure Hunt on April 11. Vendors and food concession stands will hand out free candy and small toys and five lucky hunters who find golden tickets will win a “special,” unspecified prize. Check-in for the hunt begins at 10 a.m. The Easter Bunny will also be on hand for photos and free face painting, and a puppet show will be presented throughout the day. Admission to the swap meet costs $2 except for kids under 12 who get in free.

The Orange County Fairgrounds were covered in pastels Saturday as children and their parents hopped to the swap meet, many clutching brightly colored Easter baskets and donning springtime hats. Among the festivities was an Easter egg hunt, in which parents were given a pink treasure map with a list of vendors and their locations where eggs could be found. Although 6-year-old Aubrey got bored looking for eggs, she wore herself out on the inflatable bouncer, her mother Lynn Ungria, of Anaheim, said.

I believe in the Easter bunny. No, not the hopped up and over-marketed Easter bunny, but the real one. When I was a little kid, I once woke up very early on Easter. I was up before the people going to Easter Sunrise. I was looking for the Easter basket. Ok, I was looking for chocolate. I searched the house in darkness, and found nothing. Nada. Zero. No basket. No eggs. No chocolate. I was traumatized. My tears woke up my parents. They took me into their room, and there was a pale green dump truck filled with chocolate.

NEWPORT BEACH — With a 6-foot-tall white rabbit in front of her, 5-year-old Maya Graves leaned on her new friend for the day as she attempted to touch to his soft fur. Savannah Rogers, 17, helped the visually impaired Maya connect her hand with the Easter Bunny, but Maya quickly pulled back her hand. Yet the little one quickly wanted to try once more. "I want to shake his hand again," Maya said. Maya was one of about 30 students ages 3 to 7 from the Blind Children's Learning Center at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort on Friday for a special Easter event filled with activities that involve touch.

The Honeybaked Ham shop at 3700 E. Coast Hwy. in Corona del Mar has closed permanently, according to a sign in the window. "Customers were shocked," one Corona del Mar Today reader said on Facebook. "Workers were surprised but had known for a short time because they had stopped sending things like rolls, bean soup packages, etc. There wasn't much in there. There weren't even all that many hams available at about noon," Friday, the last day of business for the shop. According to city business license listings, Honeybaked Ham had a business license from 1977 until Dec. 31, 2010.

It’s a great time for bargains! We’re very, very excited about Boutiquing.com Boutiquing.com ’s blowout sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 13 at Park Privé, 1570 Scenic Ave., Costa Mesa. The addictive boutique review site has assembled 30 Orange County boutiques for a one-stop shopping experience with major — did we mention major? — discounts. Bonuses include swag bags for the first 50 shoppers, lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., giveaways every hour, a cash bar and a deejay.

Treasure map in hand, kids at the swap meet in Costa Mesa will have a chance to search out a plastic egg containing a golden ticket at the Orange County Market Place’s free Easter Festival and Treasure Hunt on April 11. Vendors and food concession stands will hand out free candy and small toys and five lucky hunters who find golden tickets will win a “special,” unspecified prize. Check-in for the hunt begins at 10 a.m. The Easter Bunny will also be on hand for photos and free face painting, and a puppet show will be presented throughout the day. Admission to the swap meet costs $2 except for kids under 12 who get in free.

Perched atop a faux grass platform in front of the carousel, the mechanical Easter Bunny held court at South Coast Plaza on Friday. “I’ve had a few kids today who were scared, but I usually just say, ‘Let’s sit down and talk about it,’” said the Easter Bunny, a 3-foot-tall, furry creature manned by a mysterious, behind-the-scenes puppeteer who talks in a high-pitched voice. “Santa Claus is a good friend of mine,” the bunny said.

Toddlers and young children love picture books about soft, cuddly bunnies and their antics. Themes that include fuzzy yellow chicks, colorful dyed eggs, puppies and dewy green grass make for winning spring combinations that are irresistible to children. Read these short tales out loud, slowly, with the little ones on your lap for a fun journey to a gentle fantasyland. Savor the poetry, point out the words and demonstrate to your kids your appreciation for reading together.

NEWPORT BEACH — Emily Perkins spent only a few minutes hunting for Easter eggs Saturday at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and Marina. She figured she would quit while she was ahead. Emily, 10, of Fountain Valley was the lucky scavenger at the resort’s 19th annual Easter “Egg-Stravaganza,” in which children search for thousands of decorated eggs scattered around the beach. The plastic eggs included 50 gold-painted ones with tickets for prizes inside, and one of those contained the top prize of all — a brand-new bicycle, which Emily won after she discovered the egg peeking out of the sand.

In celebration of the coming of spring, the Easter Bunny has hopped down to South Coast Plaza for a month stay. Children can take pictures with the Easter Bunny starting at 11 a.m. until March 22 at the Carousel Court or Macy’s Home Store Wing, Level 1 at South Coast Plaza. Presented by Disney puppeteers, children are also welcomed to talk to the Easter Bunny. “It’s Easter and I wanted to get her into the spirit, take a picture with the bunny,” said Jackie Le of her 19-month-old daughter Kylie.