Why do people celebrate Easter with bunnies and colorful eggs?
“Rabbits and eggs were ancient and pagan symbols of fertility,” said Strege. “Rabbits have a gestation period of 28 days, the same as the lunar cycle, and because the lunar calendar was more common than solar calendars among many ancient peoples, rabbits came to have symbolic value. At their origins, these pagan symbols had no more to do with Jesus’ resurrection than decorating trees had to do with his birth. As with many other pagan customs, they were incorporated into Christian symbolism. It made a certain kind of logic to pagan converts to Christianity; many ancient peoples believed that the earth had been created or born in the spring season, so it seemed natural to them to celebrate Jesus’ rising from the grave into resurrection life with some of the same customs, now ‘baptized’ into Christian tradition.” Easter spending by the numbers According to the National Retail Federation, spending for the Easter holiday is expected to reach $14 billion. This year, shoppers who are planning
