Spending Easter in the US always makes me feel like there is something missing...
First of all, I guess the main thing missing is the extra day off. Easter is a big holiday in Brazil, and you won't find anyone attempting to work either on Good Friday or the Thursday before (and we do try to get Wednesday off as well whenever possible).
Second: when you have a day off, it is always better to know that it is still warm outside and you can put on your swimsuit and escape to the beach. It also makes the whole egg-hunting process easier not to have torrential rains or snow.
Third: why call it Easter?!? Sounds really weird to me (although most of you might think "Pascoa" is equally as bizarre).
There are almost no signs that Easter is coming when you are on American soil. In Brazil, a month before the bunny comes all the stores unleash a serious and hardcore Easter campaign, with bunnies and eggs just about everywhere. If you happen to enter a supermarket, you will find yourself under a roof of chocolate eggs in every shape and size imaginable, all of them beautifully wrapped and almost irresistible (and in most cases armed with even more chocolate or candy on the inside).
In Brazil, the chocolate is such a huge part of the Easter experience that after egg-hunting (a tradition I seem to have kept despite my age) on Sunday morning you will probably find yourself with a 10-year supply of chocolate, which will most likely put you in a carb comma for the month of April.
Anyway, thanks to modern transportation my very catholic mom fedexed me tons of chocolate because she's been here during Easter and was very disappointed with the egg selection. The Brazilian chocolate industry applauds.