Origin of the Easter Bunny: legend and meaning –

Surely you have heard of the Easter bunny, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, since in these places it is very typical to decorate and give away Easter eggs. But what is the Origin of the Easter Bunny: legend and meaning? We tell you.

what is the easter bunny

The Easter bunny is the character that during Easter Sunday has been hiding the eggs that the children will have to find in a fun game in which the whole family can participate.

In many decorations of Holy Week or Easter, as it is known in Anglo-Saxon countries, you can find the Easter bunny. And, as with eggs, they are also often make chocolate and sugar easter bunnies. For example, in Germany this tradition of eating sweet Easter bunnies is very typical.

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The origin of the Easter bunny

To talk about the origin of the Easter bunny we have to go back to the pre-Christian and Anglo-Saxon festivals in which the bunny was used as a symbol of fertility and was associated with easter goddess, to whom tributes and offerings were made during the month of April in all the towns of northern Europe. Over time, this evolved and was adapted to Holy Week.

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The new Christian legend became related to Jesus. According to the story, when they put Jesus in the tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had made, there was a frightened rabbit that saw how all the sad people passed by. death of jesus. The rabbit stayed inside while wondering who that person was and why they cried so much. When they put the last stone of the tomb, the little rabbit stayed in the place observing until he saw something surprising: Jesus got up and was folding the sheets with which they had wrapped him. Afterward, an angel came to remove the stone and let him walk out free and alive. Fully alive. So the rabbit wanted to tell everyone that he had been crying over the death of the Son of God, that he was alive and that they should not be sad.

Since the bunny couldn’t talk, he decided to take colored eggs to convey your message of joy and life. Since then, it is said that the Easter bunny appears every Easter Sunday to leave colored eggs in the house and remind us that Jesus is alive and we have to be happy about it.

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From here originates the tradition of the game of hide easter eggs for the children to find. In the United States, this game is very popular and is played in very different ways, but the best known, without a doubt, is the one played in the White House every year on Easter Sunday.

Easter bunny symbology

If he Easter Bunny It has a beautiful legend in its origins, the symbolism that is attributed to both the animal and the eggs that the bunny carries on these important dates is also beautiful. Because the representation of the rabbit and its colorful Easter eggs has a double meaning, because on the one hand, it conveys the message of the resurrection, since the rabbit is a very prolific animal, considered to be a representative of fertility, and the same happens with the egg, which is nothing more than a life-generating ovum.

After the sadness and sorrow of the suffering experienced by Christ in Holy Week, comes his Resurrection and his resurgence after everyone thought he had died.

But in addition, the rabbit and the Easter egg represent the joy that spring brings, since the appearance of both coincides on dates announcing the beginning of the most fertile and lively stage of the year.

Besides, an animal as cute and funny as the rabbit is, also represents curiosity about life. Anyone who has had a rabbit as a pet, or has had the opportunity to interact with a rabbit, will know what we are talking about, as they are extremely curious animals that love to investigate everything around them.

Easter bunny trivia

It will not surprise you if we tell you that the rabbit is an attraction for the smallest of the house, so it is easy to understand why this animal was introduced in the 16th century bourgeois customs to educate children. However, there are other regions where they follow a similar tradition, but in which the rabbit is replaced by other animals such as the hen, a rooster, a fox and a stork.

A curious fact is that the Easter bunny appeared in precisely the same places where the Christmas tree had. It did so when, after the religious reform of the 16th century, Easter went from being a purely religious event to acquiring a more popular and festive character, especially among the bourgeoisie.

However, despite the fact that the rabbit has been around for so long, making an appearance at parties, it was not until the 20th century that it became popular, becoming an element intrinsically linked to Easter, also motivated by commercial purposes.

But, surely you are wondering, how is it possible that we associate the figure of a rabbit with the laying of eggs? It is true that this question makes us think. A rabbit and some eggs? what relationship do they have? But it is precisely these reflections that the children of the time were trying to make as well. Hence, it was explained to them that the rabbit brought the Easter eggs, so that the little ones would be encouraged to think, investigate and question. A kind of trap to educate children by encouraging them to think.

Over time, the figure of the Easter bunny has spread to many countries and, although each one has its own peculiarities, many places have welcomed the rabbit as the protagonist of the festivities.

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