Answers to Go

Q.Why do we celebrate Easter with eggs? What has a rabbit (bunny) got to do with Easter?

A. The egg symbolizes rebirth. The rabbit is a symbol for reproductive fertility.

Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fabel states the following:

The egg as a symbol of fertility and renewal of life derives from the ancient world, as did the practice of coloring and eating eggs at the spring festival. The custom of eating eggs on Easter Sunday and of making gifts of Easter Eggs to children probably derives from the Easter payment of eggs by the villein (serf ) to his overlord. The idea of the egg as a symbol of new life was adopted to symbolize the Resurrection. Pasch Eggs or pace eggs, hard-boiled and colored, were rolled down slopes as one of the Easter games, a practice surviving in the yearly egg rolling event held on the lawn of the White House in Washington.

The practice of presenting eggs at Easter came to England from Germany in the 19th century. This probably derived from the old ecclesiastical prohibition of eating eggs during lent but allowing them eaten at Easter. In the United States, the Pennsylvania Dutch (or “Deutsch,” the word for “German”) dyed their eggs. In earlier times, people placed their Easter eggs in grass nests that were made to look like bird’s nests. Later, baskets filled with straw took the place of nests. According to German folklore, a duchess started the custom of hiding brightly- decorated eggs. These were said to have been left by the Easter rabbit for the country children. The children then made a game of finding the eggs. (Sandak) The rabbit is associated with Easter because of its reputation for reproduction and fertility. Some think that the association of the rabbit to Easter goes back way before Christianity and to ancient Egypt. According to Egyptian mythology, the hare (rabbit) is a symbol of the moon. It is thought that its significance at Easter is its association with the date of the festival, for that date is determined by the moon. During the Council of Nicea (a council of the early Christian church) in the year 325, the date of Easter was settled. It was decided that Easter should be kept upon the first Sunday after the first full moon following the 21st day of March. Thus, the rabbit, representing the moon, came to be associated with the Easter Festival. (Sechrist) In modern times, the Germans have favored the rabbit as an Easter symbol. The Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. (History.com) Another legend tells us of a poor woman living in Germany who decorated colorful eggs for her children to find in the garden. As soon as the hidden eggs were found by the children, a large rabbit hare was seen hopping away. The children thought the hare (Hase) left the eggs. This ancient legend is thought to be the root of the Easter bunny we know and love today. Like the egg, the rabbit is a symbol of new life and rebirth.

The Anglo-Saxons, who lived in England more than a thousand years ago, had an entire month called Eastur-monath (eh-YAW-stir MOH-nawth). Roughly translated, this means “month of the growing sun” and was, basically, the month of April in our calendar. (Sandak) For more information about this and much more, visit the library!

• History.com, E. (2023, March 13). “Easter symbols and traditions - easter bunny, Easter eggs ... - history.” History.com. Retrieved March 14, from history.com/topics/holidays/ easter-symbols

• Sandak, C. R. (1990). “Easter.” Crestwood House.

• Sechrist, E. H., & Woolsey, J. (1971). “It’s time for Easter.” Macrae.

Suzanne Sanders is the columnist for the library. She is the Community Services Manager for the San Marcos Public Library and came from the Austin Public Library in 2015 after having served there as a librarian for over 20 years. She gratefully accepts your questions for this column.