where did the easter bunny originate from
How did this cultural icon appear? With such a rich Christian heritage in the holiday of Easter, it is often not clear what relation a bunny could possibly have to the holiday, but we have some answers. Eostre’s Animal: While Easter is definitely a Christian holiday, the symbolic representation of the season in an Easter Bunny or hare appears to have its origins in the pre-Christian Saxon cultures of northern Europe. According to Baeda, also known as The Venerable Bede, a Catholic saint, historian and scholar, the Saxons devoted the month of April to Eostre, their goddess of spring and fertility. The sacred animal of the Saxon mother goddess Eostre was the hare. Osterhase: The Easter Bunny made his way to the United States in the 1700s with the German immigrants who settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch country, bringing the tradition of Osterhase (“Easter Hare”) to the new world. According to the tradition, the children would build bright-colored nests to hide in their homes. If the child
In pagan times, the “Easter hare” was no ordinary animal, but a sacred companion of the old goddess of spring, Eostre. The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the Spring season. Since long before Jesus Christ was born, parents told their children that the magic hare would bring them presents at the spring festival. The presents were often painted eggs, as these represented the new life starting at this time of year.” Hares are animals which look like rabbits, but are larger and in many countries quite rare. In most places, the Easter rabbit (bunny) has replaced the Easter hare completely. The bunny was first used as a symbol of Easter in 16th century Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings. The first edible Easter bunnies, made primarily of pastry and sugar, were produced in Germany as well, during the early 1800s. Also in Germany, chil
