History Channel's Short History of Easter
As a child growing up.. we celebrated almost every holiday with decorations, special foods or candies. I was always excited about three holidays in particular, (funny the boys also loved these three could it be... that there is candy involved!) Easter,Xmas and Halloween were holidays that we celebrated and my mother had decorations a plenty for all of them! Being raised as a christian, now a non-religious mama, I wonder how to explain these holidays to my boys. I do feel that the boys need to know the "story" behind all the holidays so that they will have a better understanding of other cultures. BUT it is a little strange to me that one holiday that is SO religious in its nature would incorporate things that have pagan beginnings.Let's talk about the easter bunny and the eggs and treats he leaves behind....can you tell me a passage in the bible that talks about this long ear rabbit? Or why most churches do an easter egg hunt? (well now I know since I did some research:) Now, if I had not started homeschooling my boys I don't know whether or not I would have even thought about the history behind the holidays. Not in any kind of depth, anyways.
My research on the subject found several great sites that talk about the easter bunny and why he leaves us those yummy chocolate eggs. So if you don't already know then check them out and let me know if you are surprised or not.
One of my favorite resources for anything history is the.....
The History Channel and once again they do not disappoint with their Easter Symbols and Traditions.
If you type into YouTube "the history of the easter bunny" you will get a LONG list of videos made by people who show the pagan origins of this holiday.
Here is the short and sweet version of my long ear friend...from this article
According to University of Florida's Center for Children's Literature and Culture, the origin of the celebration -- and the Easter bunny -- can be traced back to 13th century, pre-Christian Germany, when people worshiped several gods and goddesses. The Teutonic deity Eostra was the goddess of spring and fertility, and feasts were held in her honor on the Vernal Equinox. Her symbol was the rabbit because of the animal’s high reproduction rate.Spring also symbolized new life and rebirth; eggs were an ancient symbol of fertility. According to History.com, Easter eggs represent Jesus' resurrection. However, this association came much later when Roman Catholicism became the dominant religion in Germany in the 15th century and merged with already ingrained pagan beliefs.
Yet another site aimed at kids gives you a simple explanation for easter, that bunny and the eggs he leaves behind. But I have a question for you???? Why is the easter bunny a male??
