Why Easter Bunny

“I think you should write a blog about EGGS! Easter Eggs.”

My friend from UK suggested to me. Come to think of it, not a bad idea. My friend also said:

“Why on earth do we celebrate Easter by buying eggs? And what’s with the Easter bunny? What’s his interest in Eggs? He doesn’t lay or eat Eggs. Why do kids hunt for eggs? Since when are Eggs made of chocolate? And what do eggs or bunnies have to do with Jesus and the resurrection? The more I think about it the more I want to lie down and close my eyes until the Eggs in my eyes go away.”

If the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the origin of Easter, where then does the Easter Bunny come from? That is interesting. I do not know either. The following is an Edited version from what I gathered:

Rabbit has long been a symbol of fertility in the ancient world. It is known for its reproductive prowess, that is where the term "multiplying like rabbits" originated.

In Europe prior to the introduction of Christianity the ancient pagans already had their own springtime festivals. It celebrates the replenishing and renewal, birth and rebirth, fertility, after the harness winter.

The Goddess of Fertility before the coming of the Christians was Eostre. It is in fact from her that our own word for Easter comes. The consort of Eostre was none other than a hare, that great animal symbol of fertility. According to some traditions, Eostre cast the hare into the Heavens, creating the constellation we know today as Lepus the Hare. Some stories also say that Eostre gave Lepus the ability to lay eggs once a year, eggs also being an ancient symbol of fertility.

As Christianity expanded it was common for Christians to attempt to incorporate pre-Christian ideas and rituals and place them within the context of Christian ideas and rituals, creating a mix of both Christian and Pagan. These traditions co-existed for some time. The first written mentions of the Easter Bunny come from Germany in the 15th Century, although we do not know for how long the Germans had used the symbol. It was also in Germany that the tradition of making chocolate bunnies to celebrate Easter began, sometime during the 1800's.
German settlers to the United States brought along their traditions with them to Pennsylvania, including the traditions of the Easter Bunny. They called him Osterhase, or Oschter Haws, who would lay brightly colored eggs to good children who would make special nests in their caps and bonnets the night before

Over time the tradition grew, and soon Osterhase (or the Easter Bunny as he is known today) began to bring more than just eggs, but chocolate and candies as well. Rather than making nests in caps and bonnets, the Easter Bunny would leave his treasures in a decorated Easter basket.

There you have it. Another American invention that spread across the world before the internet age.

Chance Encounter NYC