How Did the Rabbit Bounce into Easter? As a kid growing up, it was never any problem for me to believe that the Easter Bunny was supposed to come at Easter, or for that matter, Santa Claus was supposed to come at Christmas. Moreover, as a somewhat inquisitive child, I never questioned how or
why the Easter Bunny played into a religious holiday. However, again, as a "somewhat" normal child, I refused to rock the boat. Or rather, should I say, rock the candy basket! Before the internet came into the picture, I was way too lazy to make any investigations on my own. Now as an internet user, it took me just a matter of minutes to discover the answers of how the EasterBunny and Easer Eggs fit into the big picture of Easter. I also discovered why Easter is never the same time each year. How the date for Easter is determined first, the phase of the moon is what determines the traditional Jewish calendar. Therefore, when the Christians were trying to decide which day to set for Easter, they referred back to the traditional Jewish calendar to determine this. Easter will fall on the first Sunday after the full moon after the date of March 21st. March 21st is the vernal equinox, or simply put, it is the day that daylight and darkness are equal as the days start getting longer. If the full moon happens to appear on a Sunday, then Easter will be the following Sunday. How the Easter Bunny fits as research goes, there is no religious reason why the rabbit came at Easter. Symbolically, the rabbit is a powerful symbol of fertility and new life. Thus, Easter was an excellent opportunity to bring in the symbolism of the rabbit. And of course, the Easter Bunny, like Santa Claus, is a favorite among the children. History of Easter eggs: the ancient Egyptians used to decorate Easter eggs and give them to others, as a means of showing friendship. In Mesopotamia, Christians exchanged decorated eggs, as a remembrance of the resurrection of Christ.
The precise origin of the ancient custom of coloring eggs is not known. Many eastern Christians this day typically dye their Easter eggs red, the color of blood, in recognition of the renewal of life in springtime (and, later, the blood of the sacrificed Christ). Some also use the color green, in honor of the new foliage emerging after the long dead time of winter.
why the Easter Bunny played into a religious holiday. However, again, as a "somewhat" normal child, I refused to rock the boat. Or rather, should I say, rock the candy basket! Before the internet came into the picture, I was way too lazy to make any investigations on my own. Now as an internet user, it took me just a matter of minutes to discover the answers of how the EasterBunny and Easer Eggs fit into the big picture of Easter. I also discovered why Easter is never the same time each year. How the date for Easter is determined first, the phase of the moon is what determines the traditional Jewish calendar. Therefore, when the Christians were trying to decide which day to set for Easter, they referred back to the traditional Jewish calendar to determine this. Easter will fall on the first Sunday after the full moon after the date of March 21st. March 21st is the vernal equinox, or simply put, it is the day that daylight and darkness are equal as the days start getting longer. If the full moon happens to appear on a Sunday, then Easter will be the following Sunday. How the Easter Bunny fits as research goes, there is no religious reason why the rabbit came at Easter. Symbolically, the rabbit is a powerful symbol of fertility and new life. Thus, Easter was an excellent opportunity to bring in the symbolism of the rabbit. And of course, the Easter Bunny, like Santa Claus, is a favorite among the children. History of Easter eggs: the ancient Egyptians used to decorate Easter eggs and give them to others, as a means of showing friendship. In Mesopotamia, Christians exchanged decorated eggs, as a remembrance of the resurrection of Christ.
The precise origin of the ancient custom of coloring eggs is not known. Many eastern Christians this day typically dye their Easter eggs red, the color of blood, in recognition of the renewal of life in springtime (and, later, the blood of the sacrificed Christ). Some also use the color green, in honor of the new foliage emerging after the long dead time of winter.
The idea of an egg-laying bunny came to the U.S. in the 18th century. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhas," sometimes spelled "Oschter Haws." "Hase" means "hare," not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare, not a rabbit. According to the legend, only good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter. In 1835, Jakob Grimm wrote of long-standing similar myths in Germany itself. Noting many related landmarks and customs, Grimm suggested that these derived from legends of Ostara.
So.............................if your as confused about all of this as I am and even took time out of your day your read this rubbish, than I thank you. But for now, I'm going to find a chocolate rabbit and bite his little tiny head off!
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