Spring has sprung y’all! Pollen is in the air, the rainy days seem endless, and stores have stocked-up on pastel-colored clothes that look atrocious against my olive skin. Despite these minor inconveniences, I still consider spring to be one of my favorite seasons. It’s a time for egg-hunting fun, potato-salad fueled family gatherings, and emotionally terrorizing your child for the sake of a photo with the Easter Bunny. But why?

It turns out that the concept of the Easter Bunny actually has a pretty impressive origin story. Although not a Biblical figure, the Easter Bunny has been a secular symbol of this Christian holiday for centuries. The story of the Easter Bunny was first introduced in America by German immigrants, who’ve been telling tales of these egg-laying mammals since the early 13th century.

Well, we have come a long way since the Easter Bunny’s origin in old European folklore because today, this giant hare can be found in almost every shopping mall during the month of April. And while taking an annual picture with the Easter Bunny seems to be a right of passage for many American children, let’s be honest; they seldom seem to be thrilled by the encounter.

That’s because Easter Bunny, although adorable in storybooks and other forms of imagery, is freaking terrifying in person. That’s right, I said it. From its giant stature to its searing perma-smile and empty, soulless eyes, this celebratory rabbit seems to set off all sorts of internal stranger-danger alarms within our children. And while the Easter Bunny is totally harmless and merely wants to pose for a quick pic and reward your compliance with a delicious chocolate egg, I still think he’s creepy, and I wouldn’t want to sit on his lap either.

So this Easter season, as you dress your children in their finest frills and whisk them off to the mall to immortalize the memory of them having a meltdown in the lap of a giant rabbit, do not be discouraged. One day you and your children will look back on these images and be delighted by the absurdity of it all, and that alone makes it well worth it.