Photo of the Easter Bunny by Grace Grogan.
By Grace Grogan
Most of us grew up with the Easter Bunny traditions and accept them, but have you ever wondered why a rabbit delivers eggs? Believe it or not, the symbolism of what many consider a pagan tradition during a Christian holiday has religious tones.
The Easter Hare tradition arrived in the United States with German immigrants in the 1700s. Still, it wasn’t until 1951 when the popular song, “Here Comes Peter Cottontail,” made it to No. 3 on the Billboard charts. What happened in approximately 250-plus years to get us from a live, brown hare to a white, animated candy-delivering creature hopping down the bunny trail?
Bunny background
In the Neolithic era in Europe, hares and humans were buried side by side. This was a religious ritual in which the hare represented rebirth. Julius Caesar declared in 51 B.C.E. that hares were not to be eaten because of their religious significance, (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-ancient-origins-of-the-easter-bunny-180979915/).
In Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, considered hares to be sacred. Throughout the Renaissance period, hares were considered symbols of sexuality. The Virgin Mary was often pictured with a white hare or rabbit, symbolizing her overcoming sexual temptation.
Other traditions around the holiday varied. The Village of Hallaton in Leicestershire, England, holds a Hare Pie Scramble, where people compete for a piece of pie made with hare meat. The event is still held today, and the parish church blesses the special recipe. The event takes place on Easter Monday, and historically, the villagers would fight over food and drink, (https://www.efdss.org/learning/resources/beginners-guides/48-british-folk-customs-from-plough-monday-to-hocktide/3388-hare-pie#).
Do you believe in Easter witches? Eating hare was used in folk traditions to scare away the witches. In Germany, Osterfeuer, or Easter Fire, were outdoor fires built to scare away witches. Over time, this pagan tradition was adopted by Christians and incorporated into their Easter services. The burning of the Easter Fire symbolized the beginning of a new Easter Vigil and the rebirth of Christ, (https://www.hamburg.com/visitors/holidays/easter-bonfires-22822).
In England during the eighth century, the month of April was called Eosturmonath, or Eostre Month. A pagan spring festival was named for Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess assimilated into the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. The Easter Bunny is believed to also derive from pre-Christian spring celebrations of rebirth through blooming flowers, egg-laying and baby bunnies. (See the above Smithsonian link.)
Egg decorating
Decorating eggs goes back to the 13th century. A forbidden food during Lent, eggs would be decorated as the end of the fasting period approached, making their Easter feast with them feel more celebratory, (https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/easter-ideas/a31226078/easter-bunny-origins-history/). The origins of the tradition of coloring Easter eggs are open to speculation. In 1290, King Edward I in England ordered 450 eggs colored or covered in fancy gold leaf to be presented to royal relatives, (https://www.thekitchn.com/the-history-of-decorating-easter-eggs-243251).
There are also stories of the Virgin Mary carrying a basket of eggs to the soldiers guarding Jesus, and of her tears staining the eggs red. Over the years, various methods of coloring eggs have been used, including painting, wax and dye, and the mass-produced egg-dyeing kits of today. If you want to go natural, use onion skin, tea bags, purple cabbage and turmeric for color.
Easter symbolism
Both hares and eggs symbolize fertility and the chance of life in the spring. Tradition in Germany held that the Easter Hare would evaluate children’s behavior. Good children would receive colored eggs, candy and toys delivered in a basket by the Easter Bunny. The Bunny and eggs symbolize the resurrection and new life of Jesus, (https://www.chaseoaks.org/articles/the-easter-bunny-whats-the-history-behind-this-tradition).
In our modern celebrations, the eggs and bunny symbolize the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This Christian belief differs from every other religion. Only in Christianity has anyone been crucified, died, and risen from the dead, then shown himself to hundreds of people. The egg has no religious connection, but some consider it symbolic of the stone blocking the tomb, which was rolled away, leading to the resurrection. (https://www.history.com/articles/easter-symbols)
Hunting and rolling
The Easter egg hunt began in Germany in the 1600s. Children hunted for eggs hidden by the Easter hare. (Stet, Smithsonian). The tradition arrived in the U.S. when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania during the 1700s. They also brought the tradition of the hare traveling from home to home, leaving eggs and gifts in baskets set out by the children, (https://bunniesbythebay.com/blogs/how-to-delight/the-unusual-history-of-the-easter-bunny).
By the 19th century, decorating and hunting eggs were popular pursuits in the U.S. The first White House Easter Egg Roll was held in 1878 under President Rutherford B. Hayes, (https://www.history.com/articles/easter-symbols). The event usually includes egg-rolling races, live music, storytelling and picture-taking with the Easter Bunny.
We must not forget the beautiful gold chocolate bunny created by Lindt’s chocolate. This Easter favorite was created in 1952 after a Lindt chocolatier’s daughter saw a bunny hopping across the lawn during the Easter meal. When she went outside to play with it, it was gone. Not wanting his daughter to be upset, the chocolatier created a gold-covered bunny with a signature ribbon she would always be able to find, (https://www.chocolate.lindt.com/world-of-lindt/gold-bunny-history).
The history of the Easter Bunny and his eggs is a conglomeration of religion, folk tradition, adaptations and creativity. He has transformed over time from a traditional brown hare in Europe to our perky-eared white rabbit who delivers candy and eggs to children in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Where to find the Easter Bunny
If you have little ones, follow the Bunny as he delivers eggs and candy to children using the Easter Bunny Tracker: https://trackeasterbunny.com/easter-bunny-tracker#google_vignette.
Download the app “Text and Call Easter Bunny” to listen to pre-recorded messages at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/call-easter-bunny/id978578573.
Want to start a field-trip tradition? Kids can enjoy a 90-minute ride on the Bunny Train out of Coopersville (https://mitrain.net/), located north of I-96 between Grand Haven and Grand Rapids. Or try the Bunny Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt at the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth, (https://www.bavarianinn.com/events/bunny-breakfast-easter-egg-hunt/).
Grace Grogan was born and raised in Michigan. In 2019, she began living and traveling full-time in an RV with her partner, Paul Cannon. In 2025, she settled in Arizona, returning to the beautiful Great Lakes State every summer.
