The origin of Easter bunny for people who wonder what bunnies have to do with Easter.
The Easter Bunny is a symbolic rabbit or hare, usually in depictions,used in the celebrations of Easter -- especially in Western Europeancultures.
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Alleged pre-Christian origin
The word "Easter" is sometimes said to have originated from the name ofa pre-Christian goddess named Eostre, drawing on an isolated remark bythe medieval English historian Bede to that effect; it is also allegedthat she was sometimes depicted with a hare's head and is thus theorigin of the Easter Bunny. Her associations with the hare -- if theyexist -- seem to be related to its high fecundity (ability to reproducequickly). Her connections with the hare would appear to be the originof the Easter Bunny, eggs being a worldwide symbol of fertility. Astory is told that the goddess turned her pet bird into a rabbit toentertain some children. The rabbit immediately laid some brightlycolored eggs, which the goddess gave to the children.
It is important to note that apart from Bede's isolated comment, nopre-19th century source has, to date, been brought to light for thisstory or any other alleged connections between Eostre and other Eastercustoms. See Eostre for more on this.
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Modern history
It is thought that the idea of the Easter Bunny was developed by GermanProtestants, who wanted to retain or re-introduce the Catholic customof eating colored eggs for Easter, but did not want to introduce theirchildren to the Catholic rite of fasting, which was the reason for theabundant availability of eggs at Easter time (they were forbidden toCatholics during the fast, thus eggs layed during the fast were storeduntil the feast).
The idea of an egg laying rabbit came to the United States in the1700s. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told theirchildren about the "Osterhase" (also: "Oschter Haws") or Easter Bunny.Only the good children received gifts of coloured eggs in the neststhat they had made in their caps and bonnets before Easter. Presumably,the Oschter Haws laid them when they were not looking.
In the United States, the Easter Bunny purportedly leaves baskets oftreats (including Easter eggs and assorted chocolates) on Eastermorning for good children. This is a common practice even innon-Christian households, as Easter has started to become a morenon-sectarian festival, like Halloween or Valentine's Day.
