Easter Greetings! - The Origin of the Easter Bunny

Posted by Unknown on Tuesday, March 30, 2010



From the desk of Leah Calnan - Director, Metro Property Management

The team at Metro Property Management would like to wish you and your family a very Happy Easter and a safe and happy long weekend.

We here in the office were having a chat the other day about how the Easter Bunny tradition came about and so we felt we would share the answer with you too...

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 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 and were made of pastry and sugar. 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" (Easter Bunny) 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 coloured 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 through out the country.
(Source: http://www.holidays.net.au/)



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