Easter Eggs, Bunnies and the Resurrection
What is the origin of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs?
(GotQuestions.org) – It is commonly thought that the word Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. The only problem with this theory is that it has no basis in history. The existence of a goddess named Eastre or a spring festival in her honor is based on pure conjecture. The same is true of the origin of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs—no one knows for sure how these things became a part of Easter observances. The most we can say is that the word Easter is probably related to the word east (ost in German) and that the Saxons had a month they called Eosturmononath.
The legend of the Easter bunny bringing eggs appears to have been brought to the United States by settlers from Germany. The German tradition of the Easter bunny (or Oschter Haws) migrated to America in the 1700s, accompanying German immigrants, many of whom settled in Pennsylvania. Over the past 200 years, the Easter bunny has become the most commercially recognized symbol of Easter in the United States. Other countries use other animals as the symbol of Easter, such as the cuckoo (in Switzerland).
In legend, the Easter bunny, also called the Easter hare and the spring bunny, brings baskets filled with colored eggs, candy, and sometimes toys to the homes of children on the night before Easter, in much the same way as Santa Claus is said to deliver presents on Christmas Eve. The Easter Bunny will either put the baskets in a designated place or hide them somewhere in the house or garden for the children to find when they wake up in the morning, giving rise to the tradition of the Easter egg hunt. Obviously, none of this comes from the Bible.
Should Christian parents allow their children to participate in traditional activities that refer to the Easter bunny? This is a question both parents and church leaders struggle with. There is nothing essentially evil about the Easter bunny. What is important is our focus. If our focus is on Christ and not the Easter bunny, our children will understand that, like Santa Claus, the Easter bunny is merely a symbol. Easter should be a time to reflect upon and celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
Recommended Resource: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas
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They have just Commercialized all of our Holy days of prayer and Reflection to take everyone’s minds off of the Truth..When i was in 1st grade in a Catholic School mind you..some 49 years ago ..We were told we had to write a Paper on what Christmas meant to us..I went home told my parents and they told me “Go into the Kitchen close the door and get busy”,I did..I wrote about Mary and Joseph’s Travel to Bethlehem and No one excepting them in any of the Inns..I wrote about Our Lords Birth and the Shepherds.. I was very young but i wrote about what Christmas meant to me..My Mother and Father were so very proud but when i went to school the next day i was pulled out of class and was called a Liar, That my Parents or a one of my Brothers or sisters told me what to write.. I was told if i didn’t come back to school the next day and tell the truth i would be in great trouble..Because i didn’t write about Santa or presents or Christmas dinner like the rest of the children did ..My Parents were Furious ..They must have called the school because the next day my paper was in the window in the hallway with a big gold star on it..My Parents took me out of Catholic School after my first Holy Communion but Public school was even worse!!!