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All about the Easter Bunny
The First Easter Bunnies The Easter Bunny evolved from a number of traditions, some dating back thousands of years. The earliest humans noticed the link between the cycles of women that were linked with the birth of children and the cycles of the moon. In the oldest records from civilizations in Asia, the hare was the symbol of the moon. So it followed that the moon and the rabbit both became the symbol of rebirth or life after death. Today, Easter is celebrated around the time of the Paschal Full Moon in Spring.
In ancient Egypt, the rabbit was also recognized as a symbol of fertility and renewal. This belief spread to the Greeks and then to the Romans who shared it with the rest of Europe. Later, the Celts and other early European groups celebrated the festival of Eastre, a goddess of the dawn associated with springtime. Her symbol was the rabbit, the most fertile animal and a symbol of new life. Many people think that the modern feast of Easter developed from springtime feasts to honor Eastre. The Medieval Easter Bunny During the Middle Ages, the rabbit also became associated with chicken eggs, since both were symbols of fertility and rebirth in the spring. The Easter Bunny as a holiday symbol delivering candy and eggs is thought to have started around that time in Germany. Germany is also where the first edible Easter bunnies were made during the early 1800s, when baked pastry bunnies first appeared. Together with gummy candies shaped like eggs, (which is where jelly beans came from), the treats were placed in straw nests in secluded areas of the house or in the garden for children to find. The custom changed over time and eventually the Easter Bunny began to deposit eggs - in children's shoes. It may well have been the world's first scavenger hunt! The
Easter Bunny Comes to America
When German people came to the United States, they brought their customs with them and soon everyone was waiting for the Easter Bunny to arrive with colored eggs, chocolate bunnies and jelly beans! Children's
shoes were not big enough to hold all of the goodies, so Easter
baskets became the popular place to hide holiday treats. The Australian Easter Bilby Elsewhere, when Europeans began to settle in Australia, they found that there were no rabbits, so they brought rabbits with them. Since rabbits are the symbol of fertility, they did their rabbit duty and produced a lot of new rabbits. Eventually, there were so many rabbits that they became a problem.
Having this pesky rodent as a symbol for Easter celebrations just was not a good idea, so a new symbol was born. The bilby is an endangered animal in Australia. It looks almost like a rabbit...and then it was decided. The Easter Bunny would retire and the Easter Bilby took the job. Today,
if you travel to Australia you'll find plenty of chocolate
Easter Bilby candy and Easter Bilby cards!
Easter Bunny History Easter Bunny Clip Art Candy Easter Bunny Recipes
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