why bunnies and eggs related to the story of Easter?

Question

I try to explain to my kids about the story of Easter but i got stuck why there are eggs and bunnies in this event? thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Bunnies and eggs are not related to the Christ-centered meaning of Easter which is the Ressurection.

They are related to spring, and rebirth, and the season of the year, and have become entwined with the religious celebration much as Christmas trees and lights and gifts and Santa are ancilliary to the spiritual side of Christmas.

Answer 2

An egg is a symbol of new life, according to the Catholic faith, which is why kids get Easter eggs. Jesus died and then came back to life (new life).
The Easter story is actually kind of gory, with the whole Jesus being nailed to a cross with a crown of thorns on his head thing, so my personal opinion is that the bunny idea was brought in to make the story a little more soft and cuddly for the kids.
An old Catholic family I used to spend a lot of time with didn't have an Easter bunny. They had an Easter chicken that laid the eggs... I found that story easier to believe.

Answer 3

The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit. The Germans brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America. It was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. In fact, Easter itself was not widely celebrated in America until after that time.

Easter Egg predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians. From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers.

also a nice explanation at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Bunny
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg

Answer 4

Vivet is the only one close so far!

Rabbits and eggs were the symbols of the fertility goddess Eostre/Oestre/Ostara/Ishtar, whose festival it is. Some cultures see a rabbit (making sweets) in the moon instead of a face, so the eggs are also symbolic of the moon and they are linked that way.

If you don't want to explain 'fertililty' to your kids, you can say 'new life' of which rabbits and eggs are both excellent symbols. If you're Christian, they're just another symbol of the new life your deity granted you on that day.

We all celebrate the same thing, just with variations in the symbology ;-)

Answer 5

1. EGGS
a) Eggs were to be given up for Lent.
http://www.thesacredheart.com/lent.htm
b) That's why, in England, pancakes are made on Shrove Tuesday (to use eggs up).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/news_and_events/events_pancakeday.shtml
c) Because hens could not be stopped from laying, eggs were used creatively during Lent:
(i) egg blowing
http://www.20ishparents.com/holiday/blow.shtml
http://www.kinderart.com/seasons/blowingout.shtml
(ii) egg decorating,
http://www.meddybemps.com/easter/eggdeco.html
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Easter/Eggs.html
http://www.aeb.org/kidsandfamily/eastereggs/decoratingtips.asp
(iii) egg-and-spoon races.
http://familyfun.go.com/games/indoor-outdoor-games/game/famfgam_eggrace/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/uk/newsid_3211000/3211835.stm
d) At the end of Lent eggs could be eaten once more - hence the Easter egg. Some alternative egg activities persist on Easter Monday:
(i) egg rolling (linked with rolling away the stone at Jesus' tomb)
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/easter/monday.htm
http://www.northernearth.co.uk/69/egg.htm
(ii) egg hunts
http://www.holidayinsights.com/easter/egghunt.htm
http://www.scegghunt.com/photo_hunts02.htm

1. BUNNIES
The hare and rabbit were celebrated as pre-Christian symbols of fertility in Spring.
http://www.holidays.net/easter/bunny1.htm
http://www.easter-traditions.com/html/the_easter_bunny.html
http://plymouthlibrary.org/faqeasterbunny.htm

Answer 6

So, you need the children's version. Obviously they are both symbols of fertility from the druids but it is awkward to explain this.
The rabbit is one of God's creatures who is associated with new life and the eggs are like gifts from God to help give us strength to make a new start in our life

Answer 7

Simple....fertility......eggs and bunnies symbolize reproduction...

Therefore....eggs and bunnies= babies.....the whole natural theme of Spring.