Eggs & the Easter Bunny?
What do egg hunts and the Easter bunny have to do with the Christian celebration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead?
Easter Eggs
- Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb to new life
- Decorating eggs for Easter dates back to at least the 13th century and may have been a way some communities broke their Lenten fast at Easter
- "Pysanky" is an Eastern European method that decorates eggs with traditional folk designs using a wax-resist method. There is even a tradition that attributes this practice to St. Mary Magdalene!
The Easter Bunny
- Rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. German immigrants to America reportedly brought stories of an egg-laying hare known as “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws”; thus the Easter bunny was introduced to our culture!
- Some sources claim that the integration of the rabbit was imagery that dates back to the 6th century when monks were sent from Rome to England to preach the Gospel and used pagan imagery (including rabbits) to make sense of the Christian story.
Cathi Douglas from the OC Catholic writes, "Other Easter symbols include Easter lilies, shaped like trumpets symbolizing immortality; butterflies, which undergo a metamorphosis and emerge into a new and beautiful form; the Lamb, a symbol associated with Jesus; and lights and candles, including the Paschal Candle or Easter Candle, lit on Easter Sunday."