While Easter is a Christian celebration of the resurrection
of Christ, you will not find any references to an Easter Bunny in the
bible. So, where did the Easter Bunny
tradition come from? Well, it’s hard to say. The theories of the origins of the
Easter Bunny are mysterious and varied.
One theory is that the symbol of the rabbit stems from pagan tradition,
specifically, the festival ofEostre. Eostre was a goddess of fertility whose symbol was a bunny.
Rabbits, known for their energetic breeding, have often been symbols of
fertility.
Another theory
explains how the Easter Bunny came to America.
According to history.com,
the floppy-eared bearer of candy came over with German immigrants. Some sources
say that the Easter Bunny arrived in the 1700s with German immigrants who
settled in Pennsylvania. They brought with them the tradition of and egg-laying
hare called “Osterhase”. Children
created nests in which “Osterhase” could lay his colored eggs. Eventually, the
custom spread throughout the country and the gifts from the Easter Bunny
expanded to include candy and small gifts.
Decorated baskets replaced the nests. Children began to leave carrots
out for the bunny, in case he got hungry from all that hopping.
So, the Easter Bunny may not directly represent the reason
people celebrate Easter, but because rabbits symbolize fertility and new life,
it makes sense that they would be the right animal to have around for the
celebration of a spring holiday!
