How Easter became the new Christmas: From decorating trees to pulling crackers and sending cards

A wreath on the front door, a beautifully decorated tree in the window, cards dropping through the letterbox . . . ignore the spring sunshine and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was December.

Because this year, Easter has gone beyond a few hours of eggs, bonnets and hot cross buns. From seasonal decorations to springtime crackers and even Easter ‘stockings’ (in the form of baskets to be filled with goodies) being put out by children on ‘Easter Eve’ — or Holy Saturday, as it was once known — Easter has unashamedly become the new Christmas.

So much so, say experts, that it’s now worth a staggering £2 billion to British retailers — not incomparable to Christmas itself. It’s no wonder shops are cashing in.

At John Lewis, which has seen a 266 per cent rise in sales of Easter decorations year on year, there are almost 100 products in its seasonal interiors category.

Easter has gone beyond a few hours of eggs, bonnets and hot cross buns

Easter trees are flying off the shelves, along with hand-painted glass egg ‘baubles’ (£12 for five), floral fabric bunting (from £6) and felt decorations in the shape of carrots and lambs (£6 each).

You can even add tree lights. At Next, there’s a table-top light-up tree (£35), while Amazon sells a white tree (£17.49) which comes with lights, pastel eggs and wooden message tags. Though not quite on the scale of a festive fir, they’re favoured by everyone from interiors influencers to A-listers.

Celebrity florist Nikki Tibbles recommends using ‘a large branch — magnolia, apple or birch — in a vase’, and avoiding plastic decorations, adding: ‘Nothing could be more simple or traditional than investing in a box of a dozen eggs, preferably white, and painting them yourself.’

But it’s not just the Easter tree to decorate — there’s the festive table, too. If you’re hosting the family for lunch on Easter Sunday this weekend, you can go all-out on table decorations, including a centrepiece, seasonal napkins, and even Easter crackers.

Sold everywhere from Waitrose (£3 for six, pictured above) to Emma Bridgewater (who makes personalised egg-hunt crackers, which now cost £5 for six), they are the ultimate example of the Christmas takeover.

Easter trees are flying off the shelves and you can even add tree lights

John Lewis has seen a 266 per cent rise in sales of Easter decorations year

Celebrity florist Nikki Tibbles recommends using ‘a large branch — magnolia, apple or birch — in a vase’, and avoiding plastic decorations

At Next, there’s a table-top light-up tree (£35), while Amazon sells a white tree (£17.49) which comes with lights, pastel eggs and wooden message tags

If you truly want to embrace the season, it seems, you’ll have to do a lot better than buying a few chocolate treats

f you’re hosting the family for lunch on Easter Sunday this weekend, you can go all-out on table decorations

You can include a centrepiece, seasonal napkins, and even Easter crackers

Easter is  now worth a staggering £2 billion to British retailers — not incomparable to Christmas itself

Ignore the spring sunshine and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was December

Easter ‘stockings’ (in the form of baskets to be filled with goodies) being put out by children on ‘Easter Eve’ — or Holy Saturday

Look around your neighbourhood and you’re likely to see pastel-hued wreaths adorning many front doors. Rather than the green and red rings seen at Christmas, Easter wreathes are delicate creations complete with eggs, chicks, flowers and rabbits.

Decorations expert Gisela Graham offers a faux twig wreath with egg ornaments (£29.99), while Matalan’s bestseller is a natural wreath made from dried foliage, with a hessian bunny (£12.50). If you prefer the real deal, The Real Flower Company sells a wreath, made of 12 fragrant roses, which doubles as a table centrepiece (£125).

So if you truly want to embrace the season, it seems, you’ll have to do a lot better than buying a few chocolate treats.