What is the origin of the Easter bunny?

Easter bunny comes from an ancient association Hare, Rabbits and Eggs with a fertile season of spring. Given that rabbits and hares are produced by breeders who often produce large litters in the spring, and birds put eggs at about the same time, both served as symbols of fertility in Western Europe since antiquity. The Easter bunny combines these two events in the form of an egg rabbit that announces a period of new growth and life after the barren winter. The German folklorist Jakob Grimm also wrote about the German Easter customs in the 19th century and connected them with an ancient holiday known as Ostar , perhaps also with the name Pagan goddess. In Western Europe, the Easter bunny is called Osterhase in German. Dutch settlers brought this tradition to the United States in the 18th century.

In the Dutch Pennsylvania, oschter haws The character that brought gifts for the holidays to children, just like Christ-Kindel, later became Santa Claus during Christmas. Children would build nests in their hats or hoods to put the hare her colorful eggs, and would only visit good children. This tradition of the nest building eventually withdrew the modern tradition of Easter basket, which often includes paper or plastic "grass". Today, some families give their children to leave the carrots on the Easter bunny for Easter, as well as milk and biscuits are often left for Santa Claus.

It is believed that the Easter bunny will lay the colored eggs and the color of eggs is also an ancient practice of spring practice immersed in symbolism. In Greece, eggs are red, blood and life color in many eastern cultures, symbolic new life in the spring and connected in Christian Times with the blood of Christ. Green is another popular color that refers to the abundance of life and growth of new plants in the spring. Nowadays Easter bunny gives eggs in all different colors, maybe symbolic rainbows, another sign of hope and noLife, especially in the Jewish-Christian faith.