The Easter weekend is coming up and it’s almost time for families to gather and celebrate with their usual traditions – a bonus if you get to do so in a beautiful setting. Most Christians and Catholics will have ended the forty-day fasting period of Lent, gone to church on Good Friday, and on Easter Sunday will attend a service dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ. After church, they’ll head home to enjoy some hot-cross buns and hunt for the Easter eggs that the Easter bunny left behind. But where did these traditions of Easter bunnies and eggs come from?
The Easter bunny and Easter eggs are actually remnants from the ancient pagan festival held to celebrate the coming of spring. The Babylonian goddess Ishtar was celebrated at this festival and, much later, the Saxon goddess Eostre (whose sacred animal was a hare) was honoured with a fertility celebration and feast during the Vernal Equinox.
This happened to be at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ. So to avoid any loss of life, missionaries spreading the Christian message allowed the pagans to continue to celebrate their feasts, but they had to do so in a Christian manner. The tradition of eggs actually goes back to an even older practice across Europe where they symbolised fertility, rebirth and abundance. Eggs were used similarly in ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece during resurrection festivals for various gods.
It wasn’t until the 18th century that the idea of an egg-laying bunny was created. The Osterhas, who left behind coloured eggs in nests made by good boys and girls. The nests were later changed to bonnets, and finally to the modern baskets of today.
The history of Easter is an interesting one and, as we know, for most people today it symbolises the death and resurrection of Christ. Whatever tradition or faith you follow, we hope you will make the most of your time off and spend your long-weekend with those you truly love and care for.
