The
generous Easter bunnies have, over the times, become the most favorite
Easter icon. Bunny is associated with Easter historically because of its
global and secular appeal. It is a symbolic rabbit, which owes its
origin to the pre-Christian goddess, Eostre, the mythological goddess of
spring and fertility.
However, one fact needs special mention here. There has been a lot of
discussion regarding as to what the bunny represents- hare or rabbit.
Perhaps it is hare and not the rabbit, which should be treated as the
true symbol of Easter. Going by the history, we find that since ancient
times it is the hare that has been a symbol for the moon and not the
rabbit. There is a very interesting legend about the hare- that it never
closes its eyes, not even for a single blink! In ancient Egypt, people
related hares to the moon. In 1500s, Germans invented edible Easter
bunnies from pastry and sugar and was known there as 'Oserhase' or
'Oschter Haws'.
In America it is the rabbit which is more familiar as Easter icon as
against the traditional hare. The credit of making rabbits so popular
and the most famous Easter icon among the non-German kids in America
goes to the German immigrants. The German kids used to make rabbit's
nests which were filled with adorned eggs. These rabbit nests looked so
attractive that even the non-German kids asked for such beautiful gifts
on the occasion of Easter.
