When we celebrate Easter, we do many weird and crazy things. I’ve often wondered to myself, what does any of this have to do with the Crucifixion and Atonement of Christ? Well I decided to look it up and figure it out. First off the name Easter comes from the Anglo-Saxon Goddess Eastre (Ostara). She represents fertility, renewal and balance between the day and night. She is also the symbol for the rabbit and the egg.
The tradition of decorating and exchanging eggs comes from ancient times. The Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans all did it as a symbol of life. Eggs were forbidden to Catholics during the fast of Lent, which was the reason for the abundance of eggs at Easter time. The first Easter baskets given were meant to imitate a bird’s nest when eggs were placed inside.
The Egyptians also believed that the rabbit was a symbol of life or rebirth, but rabbits are also the symbol for the moon. It’s interesting since the moon determines the date of the holiday, which is decided as the first Sunday, after the first full moon, after the first day of spring. The myth of the Easter Bunny has many origins. The way he is currently portrayed today, actually dates back to an old German tale about a woman who used to decorate eggs and leave them for her children to find. This story was based in a time when a famine was plaguing the land; therefore the eggs were considered a valuable and surprising gift. It is reported that when her children found the eggs they saw a bunny rabbit hopping away. Naturally, the children thought the bunny had left the eggs for them. Other legends say that the Easter bunny came because of Ostara, who was always seen along with her pet rabbit. It was this very bunny of the Goddess that had laid the first colored eggs. As you can see some of these symbols actually have a legitimate meaning, even though we don’t know or understand the meanings as clearly as we do for Christmas they are still there. It is a wonderful and sacred holiday, and I encourage you all to enjoy it, and make the most of you time together.
This was an extra part of the Easter interview. Richard's sharing a fond memory about the Easter Bunny.
Here is a map of when the Easter Bunny will come to your area!!! (It's a time zone map, and it shows the order of arrival mostly.)
