Happy Easter

I love Easter. Next to Halloween, it is my favorite holiday. The weather, the egg hunts, the kids all dressed up and looking adorable. My sisters and I loved it so much that we suckered our parents into hiding eggs for us when we were well into our late teens. Back then all I care about was the fun of the hunt and of course the candy, but now as a writer I wonder about the origins. Western society knows the biblical story of the resurrection of Christ that is celebrated on Easter, but what about the story of the Easter Bunny?

I've never heard the Easter Bunny called anything but the Easter Bunny but when I began researching the origins, I found that he is also known as Easter Hare and Spring Bunny. No matter what you call him, he seems to be the animal version of Santa Clause, bringing gifts--usually in the form of candy and eggs--to good little boys and girls.

Easter, like many now Christian holidays, was originally pagan. A festival celebrated by Saxons, they celebrated Eastre, the goddess of spring and offspring. The bunny tie-in is their prolific ability to reproduce. Eggs were brought in by Christians as a symbol of the resurrection. That's it, it's as simple as that.

If you want the full history of Easter and all kinds of interesting facts, check out this article by Arlene Wright-Correll.

Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
http://www.jocelynmodo.com/