So how did we get a rabbit associated with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ? In the Neolithic Age into the Iron Age, some cultures buried people with a rabbit as a symbol of rebirth. The ancient Greeks associated rabbits with Aphrodite and her son Eros was sometimes depicted holding a rabbit symbolizing lust. Renaissance artists sometimes painted the Virgin Mary holding a hare to symbolize overcoming sexual temptation (An alternate theory is the hare was chosen because people thought rabbits did not have to have sex to have baby bunnies.). In the Middle Ages, pagans celebrated the festival of Oestre in honor of the goddess of fertility and spring. The festival was celebrated in England and Germany in April, the month that followed the bleakness of winter. Christians coopted the festival for their Easter. The rebirth of the Earth after winter fit nicely with the rebirth of Christ. So the festival for the goddess of spring became the festival of the resurrection of Christ. The holiday came with some pagan baggage – the Easter bunny. It was natural to associate a rabbit with fertility so the hare was the symbol of Eostre. Eggs also symbolize fertility so the pairing made some sense. The rabbit became an egg-laying hare named “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws”. Children would search for hidden eggs. Colorful eggs were given to children. Why colorful eggs? During Lent, one of the forbidden foods was eggs. On the eve of Easter, Christians would decorate eggs for the morrow. The kids started leaving nests and carrots for the bunny. Parents… oops, I mean the Osterhase, began giving chocolate and toys. Easter baskets were added later. It was this tradition that was brought to Pennsylvania in the 18th Century by German immigrants. By the way, it was not always a rabbit. In Switzerland it was a cuckoo and in some parts of Germany, it was the Easter Fox or the Easter Rooster.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/easter-ideas/a31226078/easter-bunny-origins-history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Bunny
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-ancient-origins-of-the-easter-bunny-180979915/
0 Comments