As the Easter Holidays are coming up, I thought I’d delve into why exactly we associate Easter, a religious celebration, with bunnies and eggs. It just so happens that during my research, I found myself in a (forgive me) rabbit hole of Pagan holidays, German traditions and mountains of curiously decorated chocolate.
So, the animal itself. At first sight, no blatantly obvious connection to the resurrection of Jesus – after all, the character is nowhere to be seen in the Bible. Yet it turns out that we have to look all the way back to the Pagan celebration of the Goddess of Fertility – Eostre – symbolising rebirth and all the wonders of Spring to discover why the humble rabbit is involved; it is the frequent breeding that we sometimes associate with them that resulted in the popularisation of the Bunny as the mascot of the festival. In fact, in the old Germanic calendar, Eostre was the name of the celebration of the Spring Equinox (and Ōstarmānod was the name of the month of April – translating as “Easter Month”) suggesting that Easter did, in fact, predate Christianity.
Now onto the eggs. Again, if you think about it, there is no logical link between rabbits and eggs. Chickens, yes. But rabbits? The eggs, and, more specifically, the decorating of them, started in the 13th century, when Churches had their congregations abstain from eggs for lent, introducing them back on Easter as a representation of new life. The people dyed and painted them to mark the end of the fasting period, often choosing red to represent the blood of Christ.
Fast-forward to the 1600s, when the two symbols joined forces in the shape of the Oschter Haws – a rabbit that was believed to lay colourful eggs in a nest for good children. It was an example of great salesmanship, as the missionaries roaming around to spread religious messages often used this magical creature to introduce the Christian message to kids, as a way to earn the Bunny’s respect.
Moving forward again – this time, one hundred years on – we can observe the welcoming of the Oschter Haws in America; the character came, saw, and conquered, soon transforming into the Easter Bunny we know today, becoming firmly ingrained in culture and in people’s hearts. The traditional nests in which the German version laid its eggs were replaced with baskets, and the real eggs – with chocolate. Cadbury helped to promote this notion in 1875, soon expanding the arsenal of the rabbit’s gifts to include candy and other small gifts. This was partly due to the advancements in making chocolate, as separating cocoa butter from cocoa beans became easier, allowing companies to mould them into ever-evolving shapes.
In modern times, the Easter Holidays bring joy to children all around the world – except, it’s not always a Bunny bringing the sweets. In Australia, for example, where rabbits are considered a pest, the Easter Bilby was born. Sweden and Finland have gone down a slightly more Halloween-related track, opting for an Easter Witch instead (the children run from door to door, dressed as witches, and ask for candy). Perhaps, the most logical of all is Norway, with the Påske kyllinger – an Easter chick.
Our fascinating story of the Easter Bunny ends here. It was a tale of Goddesses, of giving up eggs for lent, of the globalisation of the character and of the transformations it has undergone in different cultures. So, next time someone asks you the very reasonable question of “now, how did we get to an egg-laying rabbit?”, you’ll be able to knowledgeably reply.
