Easter is right around the corner. Time for a big lunch, a visit from the Easter Bunny, and loads of chocolate! But where did these traditions come from? Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Easter with a bunny and eggs, but no chicken? The answers might surprise you!.
The Easter bunny is a beloved icon of the springtime holiday delivering baskets filled with colorful eggs chocolate treats, and other goodies. But have you ever wondered why a rabbit instead of a chicken became the symbol of Easter? After all, chickens lay eggs, so wouldn’t a chicken mascot make more sense?
There are many parts to the history of the Easter bunny. It starts with ancient pagan beliefs, Germanic folklore, and the mixing of cultures as traditions spread. It’s not clear how well rabbits lay eggs, but their role as a sign of fertility and new life links them to pagan celebrations of spring. The bunny became the most iconic Easter figure through hundreds of years of changes and commercialization.
Pagan Origins and the Goddess Ēostre
Germanic people used to honor the goddess Ēostre or Ostara in pagan ceremonies that are where the Easter bunny got its start before Christianity. Òostre was the goddess of spring, fertility, and dawn. She was linked to hares and eggs.
According to some historians, Ēostre had a sacred animal companion — a hare. The hare represented pagan concepts like fertility, rebirth, and new beginnings. However, the direct linkage between Ēostre and the hare is uncertain, with minimal primary source documentation. Nonetheless, the general association between springtime fertility celebrations and animal symbols like the hare and egg is well-established.
The German Osterhase and Egg Rewards
The first written accounts of a rabbit character being linked to Easter eggs come from German sources from the 1600s. People said that the Osterhase, or Easter Hare, was more than just a symbol; it was an active part of Easter celebrations.
Tradition says that as Easter got closer, the Osterhase would judge how well kids behaved. When kids were good, the hare would give them eggs and nests that were decorated with beautiful things. This tradition probably came with Germans who came to America in the 1700s.
Evolution of the Easter Bunny in America
When the Osterhase tradition arrived in America with German settlers, the hare transitioned into a rabbit over time. The nests and baskets prepared by the Osterhase morphed into nests for the Easter Bunny to hide eggs and other treats for children to discover on Easter morning.
The act of hunting for hidden Easter eggs became a beloved ritual, further reinforcing the importance of the Easter Bunny. The tradition spread beyond German American communities, capturing the imagination of the broader population.
Commercialization in the 19th and 20th Centuries
In the 1800s and early 1900s, the Easter Bunny became commercialized, appearing on holiday-themed merchandise and confections. Chocolate bunnies and rabbits became popular Easter candy treats. Postcards and greeting cards featured the Easter Bunny.
This commercial boom helped solidify the Easter Bunny in American pop culture. The bunny appealed to the public’s affection for springtime and gift-giving fun. Its whimsical, secular nature gave it cross-cultural appeal beyond specific religious backgrounds.
Why Not a Chicken?
With the complex history involved it makes sense why a rabbit rather than a chicken became the face of Easter. For one the pagan origins link the hare to spring fertility rituals, not egg-laying specifically. The bunny’s cuter, more winsome image also lent itself better to commercialization.
Chickens produce eggs naturally, so there’s less magical mythology around a chicken delivering them. And while live baby chicks are adorable, the commercial appeal of fluffy bunnies and sugary rabbits is hard to resist.
An Enduring Springtime Symbol
While its origins go back millennia, the Easter Bunny remains an engaging symbol of springtime rebirth and festivity. For children, waking up to a basket overflowing with eggs, candy, and toys left by the mysterious Easter Bunny is a magical rite of the season. The bunny’s continued popularity is a testament to the enduring human connection to nature’s renewal each spring.
So although it may seem strange, the Easter Bunny has hopped down an intriguing path, from ancient pagan rites to today’s peeps and chocolate eggs. The mythical rabbit has earned a place in Easter celebrations that even the prolific chicken can’t displace.
Eggs: symbols of rebirth
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Since no one knows, let’s just start with the eggs! It’s easy to see why eggs symbolise life, renewal, and rebirth. For that reason, early Christians began using eggs as a symbol of the resurrection. Some historians think that the eggshell would have stood for the tomb and the chick hatching would have stood for Jesus.
A little Easter egg history…
But Easter Eggs are different from regular eggs, aren’t they? They’re much more colourful for a start! During Lent (the 40-day period leading up to Easter), and especially during the week just before Easter, known as Holy Week, many Christians abstained from eating animal products. Meat? No. Dairy? Nope! Eggs? No, sir!.
But chickens kept laying eggs even though people weren’t eating them. To save all the eggs that weren’t being eaten, people would hard boil them, decorate the shells, and save them to eat on Easter Day.
The colourful Easter egg tradition further evolved with the British Victorians, who began celebrating Easter with beautiful, satin-covered cardboard egg that they’d fill with small gifts.
Interestingly, historians believe that the Pennsylvania Dutch in the US started the tradition of the modern Easter egg hunt in the 1700s. Who knew?!.
And the part you’re all waiting for: the chocolate eggs! Everyone’s favourite Easter treat originated in Europe, in particular France and Germany, in the early 1800s. Some people think that the first chocolate eggs were bitter and hard, not sweet like the ones we buy today.
Fortunately, people saw the potential here and worked hard to improve their chocolate-making techniques. Eventually, they landed on with the hollow, sweet eggs we enjoy today!
Why is there an Easter bunny and not a chicken?
FAQ
Why is it an Easter Bunny not a chicken?
The rabbit is known for being an animal that reproduces quickly. So the rabbit in Easter is supposed to represent life.
What animal was the Easter Bunny originally?
Protestant German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the “Osterhase” (sometimes spelled “Oschter Haws”). Hase means “hare”, not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the “Easter Bunny” indeed is a hare.
What has the Easter Bunny got to do with Jesus?
For Easter, people sometimes use bunnies as part of their celebrations because they make people think of new life. Remember that Jesus rose from the dead.
What do bunnies and chickens have to do with Easter?
While the biblical Easter focuses on the resurrection of Jesus, the bunny’s presence is tied to ancient pagan beliefs associating rabbits and eggs with fertility and new life. German immigrants brought the tradition of the Easter hare, who would lay colored eggs, to the United States.
Is the Easter Bunny real?
The Easter Bunny is not real, but the fictional character is a beloved part of Easter celebrations, particularly for children.
Is the Easter Bunny a pagan belief?
Technically, the Easter Bunny isn’t a pagan belief because paganism doesn’t include the worship of Jesus or belief in his resurrection. That being said, the Easter Bunny may have its roots in paganism and its rituals. For example, Eostre was a pagan goddess of fertility, and a hare was one of her symbols.
Why is Easter a Bunny and not a chicken?
Despite Easter’s association with eggs as a symbol of new life and the resurrection, the cute critter symbol of Easter being a bunny and not a chicken isn’t an accident. The tradition came from the idea that rabbits have more babies than chickens, so they were a better representation of new life.
Why do we have Easter Bunny?
The Victorians made this tradition their own but rather than using real eggs, they fashioned them out of cardboard, covered them with fancy cloth and filled them with gifts. The Germans added chocolate to the mix and so a tradition was born. Why do we have an Easter bunny? Wouldn’t an Easter chicken make more sense?
Why is a bunny a symbol of Easter?
When it comes to Easter traditions, one might wonder why a bunny, a fluffy and adorable creature, has become the symbol of this joyous holiday instead of a chicken, which is traditionally associated with eggs. The answer lies in a mix of ancient folklore and cultural influences, as well as the symbolism of rebirth and new beginnings.
What is an Easter Bunny?
Even though rabbits and eggs have long been associated with Easter, the egg-laying, chocolate-delivering Easter bunny as we know it doesn’t appear in history until sometime in the 1600s. That’s when a rabbit whose name, Osterhas, translates to ‘Easter rabbit’ was said to lay colorful eggs for children to find on Easter Sunday.