With Easter coming this Sunday, and an estimated 63% of the country’s Christians celebrating, you’d be correct in assuming it’s a pretty big deal when it comes to spending.
The financial wonks at WalletHub have crunched the numbers on everything from candy to clothes for the upcoming observation and have just shared some of what they’ve found.
Americans are projected to spend $20.8 billion in Easter-related expenses, for everything from chocolate bunnies to that swell Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it.
In fact, the average person celebrating will dish out $170, according to the company’s data. While $6.6 billion will be spent on food, nearly half that will be blown on candy alone.
Drilling down a little deeper, the WalletHub data notes 66% of parents say they’re planning to make Easter baskets for kids, and 85% of those will be stuffed with candy. Of those baskets, 58% will have chocolate bunnies, 48% individually wrapped candy, 40% arts and crafts, 40% “loose chewy candy,” and 39% will have stuffed animals.
And since 91 million chocolate bunnies are sold each year, and 16 billion jelly beans — enough to circle the globe three times, the site says — it’s no surprise, though perhaps ironic, that three in four parents intend to discuss with their kids the concept of eating candy in moderation.
Then again, parents shouldn’t talk: 81% of them admit to stealing candy from their kids.
Speaking of all those chocolate bunnies, 78% eat the ears first, with 11% going for the tail or feet first.
Fifty percent of those polled prefer their candy Peter Cottontails filled with peanut butter or caramel, while 33% prefer solid chocolate bunnies, and just 17% preferred their bunnies hollow.
Survey questions, methodology and results have not been verified or endorsed by ABC News or The Walt Disney Company.