Bunnies Beat Santas In Chocolate Wars

The Easter Bunny has given Santa Claus a sound thrashing, at least when it comes to holiday chocolate sales. Whether it's because Easter is a more candy-focused celebration in general or because the hollow heads of chocolate bunnies make such excellent holiday shot glasses, a record number of edible, exportable, chocolate rabbits will make it onto the shelves this year, totaling millions more than the number of chocolate Santas made at Christmas.

According to The Local, 2013 has been a banner year for German chocolate Easter bunnies. A record 190 million of the little guys have been produced in the lead up to this Easter, beating out chocolate Santas by more than 50 million. And that's not even including marshmallow birds or chocolate eggs.

"The production of chocolate Easter Bunnies has hit a new record," said Torben Erbrath, head of the chocolate products division for the German confectionery association.

Only a little more than half of the bunnies will stay local this year, though. Erbrath says that approximately 44 percent of the chocolate bunnies produced in Germany are made for export to the U.S., Australia, and other countries in Europe.

Of course, the real contest will come in the next bracket, when the Easter Bunny faces off against the Valentine's Day heart.