For Christians, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the end of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance. For Americans, Easter is also a family celebration -- a day to wear Easter dresses and, perhaps, Easter hats, hunt for eggs and welcome spring. It can be expensive. According to a survey by BigInsight, which tracks consumer spending, four out of five Americans will celebrate Easter this year, spending a total of $16.8 billion. That's an average of $145.28 each, up 11 percent from 2011. Some 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies, 700 million Marshmallow Peeps, and about 16 billion jelly ... (full story)