Easter marks the resurrection of Christ. So why is it celebrated with eggs and bunnies?

The rabbit and the egg have come to represent Easter

Easter is a Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to the New Testament, Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion by the Romans. The sacred text, however, makes no mention of the Easter bunny or the eggs that have become the enduring symbol of Easter today. So what is the deal with the Easter rabbit, the egg hunt and egg decoration – all customs that have become the face of modern-day Easter celebrations?

One theory is that the Easter rabbit and eggs are ancient pagan symbols that, over time, became assimilated with Christian faith and came to represent the season of rebirth and renewal. Both the egg and the rabbit are symbols of fertility.

Many scholars are of the opinion that Easter is an offshoot of the pagan festival of Eostre. Eostre was the pagan goddess of fertility who was associated with spring and the dawn – all representing rebirth and renewal. The animal typically associated with Eostre was the rabbit.

In 2010, The Guardian published a piece on the pagan origins of Easter. One bit, reproduced here, reads: “All the fun things about Easter are pagan. Bunnies are a leftover from the pagan festival of Eostre, a great northern goddess whose symbol was a rabbit or hare. Exchange of eggs is an ancient custom, celebrated by many cultures.”

Also read: Jesus Christ was crucified on Good Friday. So why is it called ‘good’?

According to History.com, the Easter bunny came to American shores with German immigrants in the 18th century. When German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they brought with them their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.”

In German culture, children made nests for this Osterhase creature where it could lay its coloured eggs. This tradition probably spread in America and came to be associated with Easter.

However, some theories suggest that eggs as a symbol of Easter date as far back as the 13th century. It is believed that Christians abstained from eggs during Lent. Since Easter marks the end of Lent fasting period, decorating eggs became a symbol of Easter celebrations.

Egg decoration is not the only egg-related custom associated with Easter. Egg rolling and Easter egg hunts are two other popular traditions. The first official White House egg roll occurred in 1878. Some believe that rolling an egg is representative of the stone blocking Jesus’ tomb being rolled away, reports History.com.