The Easter bunny is often considered a part of Easter because of the notable ability of bunnies to proliferate. However, there are roots back to the actual name of Easter. A goddess of fertility, Eostre, (who may have been one of the inspirations for the name Easter) is said to have been accompanied by a hare. Although many sources debate this connection. The tradition of the bunny was brought to the U.S. by German settlers to Pennsylvania.

Hot cross buns and other breads marked with an X to symbolize the cross are a tradition on many Easter tables. Different sweet breads are also used all over the world. Try these: Choreg (Armenia), Paska (Ukraine), Babka (Poland), Tsoureki (Greece). Also try a traditional Italian Easter Bread (shown above) with eggs baked right in. These bread are conspicuously risen breads which may also show a desire for Easter traditions to be different from Passover which includes unleavened breads.

Why is a Rabbit a Symbol of Easter

One theory is that the symbol of the rabbit stems from pagan tradition, specifically the festival of Eostre—a goddess of fertility whose animal symbol was a bunny. Rabbits, known for their energetic breeding, have traditionally symbolized fertility.

Easter Eggs

In the northern hemisphere, where Easter occurs in spring, images of new life associated with the season are linked to the holiday. The bunnies, chicks and eggs are signs “new life and fertility around the spring time. In the medieval period, eating eggs was forbidden during Lent (the 40 days before Easter) so on Easter Sunday, tucking into an egg was a real treat!

Sign of the Resurrection

The egg itself became a symbol of the Resurrection. Just as Jesus rose from the tomb, the egg symbolized new life emerging from the eggshell.

Egg Hunt

What does egg hunting symbolize?

The egg hunt became an Easter tradition in 16th-century Germany. Martin Luther held egg hunts at the church for his congregation, where the women and children would look for eggs that the men hid around the property. This practice is symbolic of the women who discovered that the tomb was empty after the resurrection.