An Ode to the Easter Candy Aisle at CVS

Oh, holiday candy aisle at Harvard Square’s beloved CVS, how you tease me so. With your Halloween candy that appears in August and your October candy canes. And your latest endeavor: Easter candy. Just as Boston weather has teased us with the approach of spring for months, you, CVS, have dangled the promise of chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies since before the snow had even had the chance to fall. I first caught a glimpse of the decadent sweets while I strolled by to grab a new bottle of shampoo. That was in January. I was in shock, mesmerized by the bright spring greens of the packaging, the golden foils, and the flower patterns on the variety packs full of Reese's cups and Hershey’s kisses. Spring is here, I thought, but one step outside and the thought left with the blistering winter winds.

I held out as long as I could. I avoided you altogether, thinking that if I didn’t browse your captivating shelves, my bank account would be safe, and I would only partake in the celebratory candy when society deemed it appropriate. But it was an uphill battle. And eventually, I lost. The search for one simple dorm room necessity brought me back within your walls, and I was done for.

The Lindt bunnies got me first, on display in an array of different sizes, stationed right by the side entrance where I walked in. The greatest of all chocolate bunnies, they sat there looking at me, wrapped up in shining gold foil with a pretty red bow. Elegant, classy, delicious — how could I resist? The mini Cadbury eggs were next — arguably the best of the Easter candies, with their crunchy shell, their smooth center. I have two bags of them in my dorm now. How did you convince me to get two? The elusive company made its iconic appearance for the spring months, and I foolishly fell for the bait because I knew that Cadbury would soon retreat into hiding until the next year, leaving us craving more.

The Peeps caught my attention once I’d managed to pull myself from the chocolate. The colorful marshmallows added little temptation, but they served the Easter aesthetic with each and every brightly colored sugar grain. Beneath them, the M&M’s were being sold in pastels, and the Hershey’s kisses were packaged in an array of green, pink, and blue. Everything was egg-shaped, and, against my better judgment, I was living for all of it: Hershey’s cookies and cream eggs and Reese’s eggs, whose peanut-butter-to-chocolate ratio is arguably better than the classic cups’. Even Ferrero Rocher was participating in the festivities, with their giant chocolate eggs that sat high on the shelves almost beyond my reach, all done up in gold foil. But we never go for the Ferrero Rocher — not during Easter time, because let’s face it, Ferrero will always be there, egg-shaped or not. Instead, I had to go for the limited options, the ones I knew would disappear in another week (or go on discount because you’ll inevitably be overstocked), never to be seen again (until next year).

You’re truly a wonder, CVS. You’ve cracked the code: everybody loves holiday-themed candy, and you are milking that fact for all it’s worth. People don’t even have to celebrate the holiday because we all want the same thing: an excuse to eat chocolate, judgment free. And you, with your aisles full of bright spring packaging, have given it to us. Thank you, CVS.

Yours truly,

A Lindt chocolate bunny enthusiast