Chocolate Easter eggs and other traditional Easter confectionary have become an important part of Easter celebration in Australia. In the lead up to Easter, many organizations take the opportunity to raise funds by selling tickets in raffles for baskets of Easter eggs.
The legend of Easter bunny is very much an integral part of Easter in Australia and on Easter Sunday morning, the bunny 'delivers' chocolate Easter eggs to children. But since rabbits are unpopular among the locals because of the damage they do to agricultural crops, in 1991 a campaign was started by the Anti-Rabbit Research Foundation to replace the Easter Bunny with the Easter Bilby (an endangered native species). The bilby is a small rodent with a long nose and has rabbit-like long ears.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show is Australia's largest annual event and showcases the rich Australian heritage ranging from bushman culture to the urban city life. It takes place annually at Sydney Olympic Park over a two week period which includes the Easter long weekend. The show is a reflection of rural Australia with rural and farming communities exhibit their livestock and produce.
There are also many festivals held over the Easter holiday in Australia. Performers and audiences travel long distances to attend music festivals as diverse as the National Folk Festival in Canberra, the East Coast International Blues & Roots Festival at Byron Bay in northern New South Wales, and the Australian Gospel Music Festival in Toowoomba in Queensland.
