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Have you ever wondered why a bunny rabbit hops around delivering eggs to children on Easter?
If you haven’t, you’re probably wondering right now!
Spring parties and rabbits
Long, long ago, before Christianity spread, people celebrated the arrival of spring with big festivals. These festivals welcomed warmer weather, longer days, and the return of plants and animals.
One of the things these people noticed was that rabbits and hares seemed to have lots of babies in the springtime. Because of this, they started seeing rabbits as symbols of new life and fertility.
Why eggs are so popular around Easter
Around the same time, there were also many traditions with eggs. Eggs were symbols of fertility and rebirth because they held the potential for new life.
People decorated eggs in all sorts of colors and patterns as part of their spring celebrations. They believed that decorating eggs and giving them as gifts brought good luck and riches for the coming year.
When Christianity started to spread, it mixed some of these older traditions with its own beliefs.
Easter, the Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, became associated with the egg as a powerful symbol of Christ’s resurrection and the promise of new life for believers.
Where the Easter Bunny fits into the story
In Germany, around the 16th century, people started talking about a character named the “Osterhase” or Easter Hare. This hare was said to bring eggs to children as gifts at the start of spring.
When German immigrants came to America in the 1700s, they brought this tradition with them.
Over time, the Easter Hare transformed into the Easter Bunny we know today (thank goodness!), and the tradition of hunting for Easter eggs became a beloved part of Easter celebrations.
So, when you’re out hunting for Easter eggs, you’re actually taking part in a tradition that’s been going on for centuries! Be sure to use the 🥚 egg emoji whenever you talk about Easter and your Easter egg hunt. Here’s a list of fun Easter emojis to try.
