2006-12-08 23:52:02 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Easter
Rabbits and eggs are both symbols of fertility and new life. Like Christmas, Easter is a pagan holiday in its origins, originally celebrating the new life of spring after a long dark winter. The word Easter is derived from the name of the fertility goddess Ashtoreth/ Ishtar. Traditional Easter celebrations in the US have very little to do with the Christian belief in the resurrection of Christ. Many old religions had the tradition of the god/ a god returning from death in the spring, however, so you can see where there is a kind of connection.
2006-12-08 23:59:09 · answer #1 · answered by CJ 2 · 13⤊ 1⤋
Always wondered that, just seems to be an American thing.
Oops, a little digging overthrows my preduice.
Easter Bunny History
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.
The bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have it's origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s. The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s. These were made of pastry and sugar.
The Easter bunny was introduced to American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered "childhood's greatest pleasure" next to a visit from Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve. The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs.
The children would build their nest in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the garden. Boys would use their caps and girls their bonnets to make the nests . The use of elaborate Easter baskets would come later as the tradition of the Easter bunny spread through out the country.
2006-12-08 23:56:43 · answer #2 · answered by ffordcash 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"Although today seen and regarded as a Christian time of celebration, the word Easter as explained elsewhere on this site has it's roots in the name of an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess called Eostre. The Anglo-Saxon celebration of Eostre was the celebration of the passing of winter and the arrival of the summer season. So when the Christian missionaries arrived and converted the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity it would have been sensible to keep the celebration, but replace the resurrection of summer with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter as a celebration contains many customs of differing origins, some pagan and some Christian and others of a none too clear origin.
Egg related customs and traditions performed during Easter are very widespread indeed, this is in keeping with the celebration of new life and birth, the egg itself of course representing the arrival of that new life."
It is worth noting that easter eggs aren't the only egg related thing in eater. In some places in England there are still customs such as egg rolling, and it comes from the same idea.
Similarly the bunny (not always rabbits, hares were used in some places) is a symbol of fertility as around eater they get exceptionally randy (hence 'mad as a march hare'). It is most likely that the two things aren't connected only by both being symbols of easter and have different meanings, but both originating in Germanic (doesn't mean simply German, look it up) mythology.
2006-12-09 01:32:57 · answer #3 · answered by AndyB 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Originally Easter was a Pagan fertility celebration with the fertility Goddess Ester & the hare was a fertility symbol as were eggs.
This was turned into Easter, the Easter bunny & painted & now chocloate eggs.
Going by the questions you've posted I hope I haven't dashed your belief in Santa & Easter Bunny (and probably the tooth fairy)
Do you by any chance have school in the morning
2006-12-09 10:43:22 · answer #4 · answered by Jules 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As Christianity spread, pagan holidays were often incorporated into Christianity in order to ease the transition.
This is well documented historically and includes things like Christmas (winter solstice...) and Easter.
Eastrus was a pagan fertility goddess. Symbols of fertility include eggs and of course rabbits... so when the pagan fertility holiday was co-opted, eggs and rabbits were incorporated as well.
This can also be related to the term estrus - meaning n. The periodic state of sexual excitement in the female of most mammals, excluding humans, that immediately precedes ovulation and during which the female is most receptive to mating; heat.
The Christians took the fertility and altered it to be a holiday celebrating the end of death and resurrection (the end of winter, and the beginning of the life with the fertility of spring).
-dh
2006-12-08 23:58:56 · answer #5 · answered by delicateharmony 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Easter has pagan origins and uses many pagan traditions. The Pagan goddess Eostra changed her pet bird into a rabbit to entertain children. It then hatched colored eggs that Eostra gave to the children as gifts. Hence, the Easter Bunny and his colored eggs.
2006-12-08 23:55:43 · answer #6 · answered by Brooke 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
The Easter Bunny must either carry eggs in a basket, or produce them in some magical way (where he touches his paws an egg spring forth, or something like that.)
If he/she were laying eggs into your Easter Basket, you would know it.
2006-12-08 23:57:39 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. Bad Day 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Marketing effort for Easter Sunday
2006-12-09 00:00:19 · answer #8 · answered by spyblitz 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Easter derives its call from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, goddess of the 1st easy or east. A month comparable to April have been named "Eostremonat," or Eostre's month, finest to "Easter" starting to be utilized to the Christian holiday that many times happened interior it. around the 2d century A.D., Christian missionaries seeking to transform the tribes of northern Europe observed that the Christian holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus extra or less coincided with the Teutonic springtime celebrations, which emphasised the triumph of life over loss of life. Christian Easter progressively absorbed the classic symbols. In Medieval Europe, eggs have been forbidden for the duration of Lent. Eggs laid for the duration of that factor have been many times boiled or in any different case preserved. Eggs have been for that reason a mainstay of Easter nutrients, and a prized Easter present for little ones and servants. as nicely, eggs have been seen as symbols of recent life and fertility via the a protracted time. it relatively is assumed that subsequently many historical cultures, such as the classic Egyptians, Persians, and Romans, used eggs for the duration of their spring gala's. Hares and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility. The inclusion of the hare into Easter customs seems to have originated in Germany, the place memories have been instructed of an "Easter hare" who laid eggs for little ones to locate. German immigrants to u . s . of america -- relatively Pennsylvania -- introduced the custom with them and unfold it to a lots broader public. in addition they baked muffins for Easter interior the form of hares, and can have pioneered the prepare of coming up chocolate bunnies and eggs. IM in basic terms crammed with expertise at present! xXx
2016-10-14 08:09:59 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some one has to carry them & you get a yummy choco bunny.
2006-12-09 00:36:33 · answer #10 · answered by Ollie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋