We've all seen it, adored it, and played egg hunting all revolving to this adorable yet notorious creature -- the Easter Bunny and its eggs. However, we probably don't know much about it and where it came from... until today! Today, we'll be talking about the Easter Bunny, where and when the tradition came from, and what's up with those eggs that this bunny "lay" every Easter.
Guten Tag, says the Osterhase
The famous Easter Bunny came from Germany. Called the Osterhase (occasionally spelled Oschter Haws), this fictional bunny has been a part of the German tradition a long time ago. The said bunny allegedly lays eggs, where children would usually make nests for the bunnies to lay their colorful eggs on. This has been going on for a while, until some German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s and kept the tradition alive.
One thing led to another, and later on we now see people doing it every year as a tradition all over United States. Ever since, the tradition evolved from just eggs to other delicacies laying around the nests such as candies, chocolates, gifts, and so much more. Later on, the nests would be replaced with baskets that children would carry around and put the Easter Eggs the bunny would lay around the place, thus giving birth to what we now know as the Easter Egg Hunt.
A New Hope (Not a Star Wars Story)
You might be asking, why do people celebrate egg hunting on Easter, out of all days throughout the year? To put simply, eggs are a symbol of new life, hope and beginnings. Another explanation is that eggs were previously banned during the Lenten season, which is why people would resort to giving eggs color for the purpose of not cracking them during the week and eat them later on after the Lenten season is over.
Did you enjoy this history bit? What other topics about Easter should we talk about next? Let me know in the comments below!
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