Here Comes Peter Cottontail………But Where Did He Come FROM?

As Easter quickly approaches, we thought it would be fun to explore the origins of the Easter Bunny and how he came to be an Easter symbol for so many.  In order to gain access to this information, I ‘hopped’ on the Internet and found a website created by Arlene Wright-Correll, an “Easter Historian” of sorts, who offered the following facts: 

The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.  The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the spring season.

The Germans brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America.  The bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have its origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s. The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s. These first bunnies were not made of chocolate; they were made of pastry and sugar. It was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. In fact, Easter by itself was not widely celebrated in America until after that time. As I mentioned, the Easter bunny was introduced to American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered "childhood's greatest pleasure" next to a visit from Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve. The children believed that if they were good, the "Oschter Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs. The children would build their nest in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the garden. Boys would use their caps and girls their bonnets to make the nests. The use of elaborate Easter baskets would come later as the tradition of the Easter bunny spread to other areas.  From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers. German settlers believed a white hare would leave brightly colored eggs for all good children on Easter morning.  Early American children built nests of leaves and sticks in their gardens for the Easter Hare to fill with colored eggs.  By the 19th century in America, the Easter Hare had become the Easter Bunny, delighting children with baskets of eggs, chocolates, candy chicks, jelly beans and other gifts on Easter morning. If this information has piqued your interest and you would like to learn more about Easter and its origins, please visit Ms. Correll’s website at www.learn-america.com.   Linda Cauger Receptionist