holidayseaster

WHERE THE LEGEND OF THE EASTER BUNNY CAME FROM .............................................................
The Easter Bunny originated in Germany as the "Oschter Haws". Writing about the "Oschter Haws" (Easter Hare) began about the 1500's, and the first edible bunnies were made in the 1800's from pastry and sugar.
When Dutch and Germans migrated to America they took the story and customs of "Oschter Haws" with them. From there it has spread around the world!

THE MEANING OF EASTER TODAY...................
Easter is a christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.
From Ash Wednesday through till Easter Friday is called Lent when christians around the world think about the great sacrifice Jesus made for them. (Dying for their sins).
On Easter Friday, the day of His Crucifiction, christians don't eat meat, in remembrance of his flesh that was sacrificed on the cross.
Then on Easter Sunday, the day of his resurrection, the christian world celebrates the rebirth of the world through the shedding of His Blood. We do this by giving eggs to remind us of the new life Christ gives.

EASTER EGGS.............
The egg is the most recognized symbol of Easter. It is the symbol of fertility and new life and has been associated with Easter for centuries.
Around the world there are different ways of giving the eggs. In Germany it is believed by the children that if they are good the "Oschter Haws" will leave them a nest full of coloured eggs. In olden times the children made nests from their hats or bonnets and left them in a quiet spot. The use of baskets came later as the custom spread.
In Poland, girls give eggs to their favourite boyfriends, while in Finland children beat the grownups with birch twigs until they give them eggs as ransom.
Around the world both real hard boiled eggs that have been decorated and chocolate eggs are given at Easter. In Greece real eggs are dyed crimson in memory of Christs blood. The eggs are tapped against each other by two people as one says Christ is Risen and the other answers Truly He is Risen.
No-one seems to know exactly when chocolate Easter Eggs started but it was probably by one of the big chocolate companies early last century.

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME EASTER...........................
The Name Easter comes from the name of the goddess Eastre who was the goddess of fertility. Her favourite animals were the hare and rabbit.
In pagan times the celebration of Eastre was a celebration of spring and the new life that begins then. When early missionaries began preaching it was unwise to try and celebrate their religious festivals openly (it could have got them killed), so they used the existing pagan ones and changed them to christian ones for their followers. The festival of Eastre coincided with the religous observance of Christs crucifiction and resurrection, and also was a celebration of new life, so they took it and made it a christian festival. Later the spelling was changed to Easter, which is how we spell it today.


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