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

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.”