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EASTER: The Bunny and The Egg
Ever wonder why there's an "Easter Bunny"? Ever
wonder why he brings eggs? And dyed ones at that!
The Rabbit and the Hare, because of their frequent
multiple births, are long time symbols of fertility.
According to pre-Christian fertility lore, long
before Jesus Christ was born, the Easter Bunny, aka
the Easter Hare, represented the new life during
the Spring season.
Children of that era believed that the "Magic Hare"
would bring them presents during the Spring
festivals. Often, these presents were painted
eggs, symbolizing a resurrection or rebirth.
In fact, the Egyptians buried eggs in tombs while
Greeks placed eggs on top of graves. The Persians
and the Chinese considered the egg to be a special
gift at their Spring celebrations.
As part of a gift wrapping tradition, different
cultures decorated eggs by either dying them
or wrapping them in different types of leaves.
In 1880's Germany, Easter eggs were substituted for
birth certificates. The egg, dyed a solid color,
had the recipient's name and birth date etched into
the shell.
Later, during the Christian period, many eggs were
dyed red. It's believed that this was done to honor
the blood that Christ shed.
In England, children rolled eggs down hills on Easter
mornings as a game. This signified the rolling
away of the rock from Jesus' tomb when he was
resurrected. This custom was brought to the New
World by British settlers.
And now, in present times, the tradition of the
Easter egg roll, or hunt, continues on city hall
and church lawns. In Washington, D.C., the annual
Egg Roll is sponsored by the wife of the current
President for children at the White House.
So, as a Latin proverb goes, "All life comes from
an egg." And, in the words of a famous T.V.
commercial: "Cluck! Cluck! Easter Bunny!"
Happy Easter!
MORE ABOUT THE EASTER BUNNY
http://www.holidays.net/easter/bunny1.htm
SEND A VIRTUAL EASTER BASKET
http://www.billybear4kids.com/post/basket/maker.htm
HOW TO DYE EASTER EGGS
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/easter/food_color.htm
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