Yay, Easter is here, time for the bunny! But wait a minute, there is no information on the long-eared and cotton-tailed Easter bunny in the Bible! And no mention, whatsoever, of the colorful eggs and games too! And as it is, rabbits don't lay eggs - you see, they are mammals, so they give birth to their young ones and nurse them. Then what is Easter bunny all about? Well, the Easter bunny is not inherent to Christianity or, for that matter, to the Bible. He is believed to have originated from Germany and is said to have come to America with the German immigrants. With the passage of time, it gained popularity and today, it is the single most well-known symbol of Easter across the world. The legend of bunnies can also be traced to the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (rhymes with Easter, right?) who is believed to have carried a hare as a symbol of prosperity. Ancient paganism also has a special place for the hare as a sign of new life owing to its high reproduction rate. New life is the reason it became a symbol for Jesus's resurrection. Of course, with time, the original hare was replaced by the more commonly found bunny. Read on for more such facts on our furry little friend - Mr. Easter Bunny!
It's interesting to explore the history of Easter bunny. Read about the origin of Easter bunny.
- Easter bunny symbolizes fertility, prosperity and new life as rabbits and hares are aid to have the highest reproduction rates among all mammals.
- Although, earlier mentions of Easter refer to Easter Hares, later Christians changed the symbol to bunnies or rabbits because they are rather similar to hares and are found more commonly than hares.
- A German custom, followed in Texas, calls for burning of Easter-eve fires. It is said that these fires are actually made by the Easter Bunny who burns wildflowers to make his dyes.
- Germans of the early 15th century are said to have believed that hares laid eggs and hence, came the custom of Easter eggs. With the passage of time and for the sake of adding more festivities to the occasion, the concept of colored eggs came about. Later, obviously, the German immigrants introduced this concept to the US and other western countries.
- The legend of Easter Bunny is that just like Santa Claus, it carries presents for kids although on Easter eve as against Christmas Eve. Although the Easter Bunny concept is said to have roots in German culture, this concept of bringing gifts is a spin-off of the Christmas tradition and is supposedly entirely American.
- Germany also gets the credit for being the first country to manufacture edible (and delicious) Easter bunnies in the early 19th century. These bunnies were made of pastry and sweeteners and set stage for the chocolate bunnies we get now.
- Easter calls for lavish celebrations. In US alone, 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are made for Easter each year. Moreover, about 5 million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are manufactured worldwide in preparation for Easter.
Aforementioned are some basic Easter bunny facts that a lot of us might take for granted. Go on, spread the info amongst your friends, kids or siblings and feel the way we are feeling right now-proud and intelligent!