what does eggs and bunnys have to do with easter?

Question

my friend said that it was stolen from pagens

Answer 1

Most societies depend on the fertility of their fields for food. They depend on the fertility of their farm animals not just for food, but also for the muscle power to pull the plow and the grindstone, and they depend on the fertility of their own bodies to produce sons who can labor in the fields and daughters who can fetch dowries. So natural religions generally center on fertility—of everything in the field, the barn, and the marriage bed. In a fertility religion, the greatest good is marriage and bearing children. This can lead to gross immorality, as happened in the middle east in ancient times, because infertile people sought a remedy in the arms of the priests and priestesses—and it became a religious act, because by having union with the priest or priestess, they were communing with the pagan fertility god. The Old and New Testament writers constantly condemned this, because for them it was a contemporaneous practice. Isaiah 56:3-5 even prophesies of a future time in which the infertile would no longer be outcasts.

In the British Isles and Germany, the spring fertility festival involved eggs and bunnies, because they are natural symbols of fertility, and it also involved worshipping trees. The Christian missionaries who brought Christianity to the British Isles and to Germany suffered quite a lot of grief at the hands of our ancestors when they chopped down the sacred trees to demonstrate that they weren’t gods. Since the people did not actually worship the bunnies and eggs, the missionaries figured they could just Christianize them. So the custom began of painting Christian art on eggshells and they just tolerated the bunnies. I guess they would be greatly saddened if they could see that the eggs and the bunnies once again overshadow the cross.

It is common for missionaries to incorporate existing traditions into Christianity, wherever it’s possible to do so without compromising the faith, because it isn’t practical or necessary to abolish a native culture, along with all its festivals and folkways, just to introduce Christianity. For this reason, Christmas is called ‘Yule’ in Nordic countries—‘Yule’ is the name of the winter-solstice holiday that Christmas supplanted. In the same way, English-speaking Christians retain the name ‘Easter’ for the holy day that is called Passover by Greek-speaking Christians.

Answer 2

Everyone else had their take on the Easter Bunny, I guess I'll take a crack at it.

Back in the early days, pigs were considered a luxury among many and only the well to do could afford to have them. Families that had very little hunted for wild game instead to put on their tables for Easter. Rabbits were plentiful since they multiply quite rapidly during the Spring. So when the rabbit was served on Easter, it was known as the Easter Bunny. Because of their demeanor and cuteness, rabbits became household pets and kids like to dress them up in cute outfits and that's why they wear what they do today.

As far as eggs go, you have to go elsewhere for that. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

if truth be told the Easeter Bunny comes from historic pagan symbolism pertaining to to Spring and procreation. The traditions of pagan human beings were usually followed via the early church as a fashion of replacing them to Christianity. in this feeling the custons and way of life of the poeple replaced into preserved even as they were taught about Christ. in this feeling too the Easter Egg, which replaced into traditionally eaten, got here to symbolize the tomb of Christ and, even as damaged open, the resurrection. Early eggs were usually colored pink symbolizing the blood of Christ. The Easter Bunny got here to furnish the eggs and this defined o.k. in an previously answer. for sure notwithstanding Easter, althought now to not the diploma of Christmas, has become more advantageous of a "commercial" vacation than a non secular one.

Answer 4

Easter originally was basically a festival of fertility, with the eggs and rabbits symbols of those. In other words, religion has nothing to do with Easter actually.

Answer 5

Jesus came back to life 3 days after he died on the cross to save us from sin. He kind of started a new life. So eggs mean new life because new born chicks come out of them. I do not know what the bunnys mean though.

Answer 6

they have absolutly nothing toi do with it itr is just another way for the secular world to water down the amazing gift of Christ dying on the cross and raising again over the power of sin and death

Answer 7

the rabbits represent baisicly new life (because they multiply so fast) as do the eggs, represent new life as well.

the stores just overdo the whole concept.

Answer 8

its a way for the department stores to make more money, just like the santa thing...