I love the candy holidays the most, which are Halloween and Easter. Usually I decorate for Easter at least a month in advance, sometimes right after Valentine’s Day, but this year I completely forgot about it until last Sunday. It felt really nice to put out the decorations, especially the multi-colored egg wreath and the little fake eggs I scatter around, and I’ll miss them when it’s over. I also love the stupid cute bunny figures and have several of those. I’m going to try to make carrot cake muffins (I’m not much of a baker, but I’m learning), scalloped potatoes and a meat dish, I’m not sure what yet. We’re going to get dressed up and video chat with everyone and it will be nice.

Just yesterday I went shopping for Easter candy because I’m still going to do Easter baskets for my son and me. I’m looking forward to this because I can play at a sense of normalcy. I noticed that the candy was buy one get one 50% off at CVS, which never happens before a major holiday like this! (I usually don’t buy candy at CVS as it’s more expensive, but it’s easier to get in and out of there.) It turns out that chocolate and candy sales are way down this year, because of course they are when people are struggling. It’s hard to even remember that there’s a holiday happening and most people don’t feel like celebrating at all. So many people are having problems putting food on the table and my heart goes out to them. Anyway here’s a brief report from Bloomberg on the predictable dip in chocolate sales:

Swiss chocolate makers are offering unprecedented price cuts in an attempt to stem weak demand during the key Easter season, as shoppers scoop up toilet paper and canned soup rather than tinfoil bunnies.

Lindt & Spruengli AG is offering online price cuts of 30% on its entire Easter assortment. Laederach, another high-end chocolate chain, abandoned its practice of avoiding discounts this year. Retailers across Europe and North America are also offering promotions of as much as 50%.

With lockdowns around the world aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus and many people out of work, consumers are focusing on essential food and beverages and leaving aside the frivolities. Lindt, the world’s largest maker of premium chocolate, delivered its Easter products to retailers before the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic. Its own shops are now shuttered and travel bans mean that chocolate remains on the shelves at duty-free stores.

[From Bloomberg]

That last line about abandoned duty free stores really hit me. The other day I was thinking about the last time I went to a shopping mall, which was February 28th. I saw the cute bag in my closet and wondered if that place will ever open again, or if most malls will disappear. They were a staple of my teen years in the late 80s and so many have shut down already. Getting back to chocolate, it feels so frivolous to talk about and it’s hard to see the silver lining, but candy helps. I got Lindt bunnies, Reese’s eggs (they now have eggs with Reese’s pieces in them, ooh and have you tried the Hershey’s bars with Reese’s pieces bits? They are so good), Peeps, Jelly Bellies of course and Andes Candies, which are an underrated candy. Candy is one of my favorite things and I’m going to binge it on Sunday and pretend it’s just another Easter.

If you go to church on Easter and are missing that this year, here’s an article with details on where you can view livestreams of Easter Sunday masses. I hope you and your family are ok and that you can continue the traditions that are important to you.

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