why do we associate a bunny with eggs on easter? plus, why bunnies and eggs? bunnies don't lay eggs!?
445663
eggs are the sign of new life. And Easter is the day Jessus rose from the dead.
475204
IN THE SPRING, MOST CULTURES CELEBRATE FERTILITY.  WE KNOW THAT BUNNIES PRODUCE PRODIGIOUSLY, AND EGGS REPRESENT NEW LIFE.  IN MAKING CHRISTIANY UNDERSTANDABLE TO PAGAN CULTURES, MISSIONARIES USED THE PAGAN SYMBOLS TO ASSIST IN TEACHING CHRISTIAN TRUTH.  EASTER IS CELEBRATED IN THE SPRING.  THUS IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HARMOMIZE THE LIFE AND TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE TO THE SPRING CELEBRATIONS OF FERTILITY & NEW LIFE IN OTHER CULTURES.
348118
The Easter bunny is a symbol of fertility and rebirth, so I'm told. And a similar line of thought is also applied to the symbolism of Easter eggs. \n\nThe Easter bunny as an entity of itself does not exist, but it is a way to get kids interested in the holiday of Easter and as they get a little older (7+ or so), the real meaning of Easter can be introduced and comprehended by the child. \n\nI do have a vision of what I pictured the Easter bunny to look like when I was little, and it was something along the lines of the man in the Easter bunny costume that I saw at the mall. \n\nI have a lot of awesome Easter memories from my childhood. It did not hurt me to believe in both the Resurrection of Christ AND the Easter bunny. One I outgrew, the other is still with me. Happy Easter to you and your family!
184644
I always get asked if the Easter bunny is real.\n\nI always tell the children to go ask their parents.
360755
The idea of an egg-laying rabbit came to the United States in the 18th century. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhase" (also: "Oschter Haws"). "Hase" means "hare", not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare, not a rabbit.\n\nOnly good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter. Presumably, the Oschter Haws laid them when the children were not looking.\n\nA hundred years later Jakob Grimm wrote of long-standing similar myths in Germany itself. Noting many related landmarks and customs, Grimm suggested that these derived from legends of Ostara.\n\nMYTHOLOGY: \n\nRecently, a neopagan legend has sprung up concerning the Easter Bunny. Though it is usually circulated as a Pagan tradition, it does not appear before 1990; it is presented by a fictitious character, Mrs. Sharp, created by an author of inspirational aphorisms. (Sarah Ban Breathnach, 'Nostalgic Suggestions for Re-Creating the Family Celebrations and Seasonal Pastimes of the Victorian Home'). It reached a far wider audience when in 2002 a version of the story, The Coming of Eostre, was published in Cricket magazine.\n\nAccording to the story, Eostre found a wounded bird in the snow. To help the little bird survive the winter, she transformed it into a rabbit, but the transformation was incomplete and the rabbit retained the ability to lay eggs. In thanks for its life being saved, the rabbit took the eggs and decorated them and left them as gifts for Eostre.[2]\n\nThis story is deemed fakelore by critics, who point out that it has never appeared in any historical account of pagan celebrations, nor in any attempt to reconstruct the same by folklorists such as Grimm. There is also no historical evidence linking Ostara to the hare or rabbit.
457138
Hey wanna know something?\n\nOkay only a select few know this so dont go telling everyone.\n\nYour going to be shocked by this, your gonna be like DUH its so obivous\n\nWhew here we go.....\n\n\nGOD DOESNT EXIST !!!!\nTHE EASTER BUNNY DOESNT EXIST !!!!\nSANTA CLAUS DOESNT EXIST !!!!\nSuperman Exists !!!!\nTHE TOOTH FAIRY DOESNT EXIST !!!!
456625
The Easter Bunny is real. Section 32 hid the Truth; there was no third gunman on the grassy knoll. Elvis isn't Dead, we never went to the Moon, the holocaust didn't happen and aliens didn’t visit us from another planet at Roswell, NM in 1947.
846412
The easter Bunny and the Easter eggs are both symbols used in the Pagen religion, that time of year is their fertility celebration and the Bunny and the Egg both symolize fertility. Estres (not sure on that spelling) is the godess of fertility, Easter is derived from that name.\n\nHalloween is also Pagen \n\nThe Christmas tree is also Pagen
410271
We also call him the 'Easter Bunny' in Australia. Also we have an 'Easter Bilby', but I believe that the choclate marketers here are the only ones cashing in on this their creation.\n\nPersonally I call him 'Ostara'. (The one who brings eggs for health, wealth, and prosperity - and as a sign of fertility)\n\nHey 'bored', I live in Australia and have never seen a 'Easter Bunyip', where the hell do you by one of those.
314658
I'll tell you what i was taught\n\nan egg represents birth and is tied into jesus ressurection\n\na rabbit symbolizes fertility and thus more life\n\nnow i read that easter was actually a pagan holiday to begin with (much like christmas) and christians changed it around to be apart of the bible.\n\nso I'm sure the rabbit and the eggs may stem from that, but that's what i was taught and what i teach
652973
The association of eggs with the Easter Bunny is actually a recent one. It seems to be the result of an ad campaign by European candy makers who wanted to advertise their product. The egg, long a symbol of fertility, had long been a traditional staple of Easter celebrations. The pairing of the Easter Egg and the Easter Bunny at the end of the nineteenth century was not only a stroke of marketing genius, but also well-founded in the traditions of the past.
882198
What?!? The tooth fairy isn't real! Whatever next, soon you'll be saying Santa Claus and the Easter bunny don't exist!
253879
I am not an attorney, but based upon the change from "Easter Vacation" to "Spring Break" and "Christmas Vacation" to "Winter Break" I would think it ill-advised to have much discussion about Easter in a publicly-funded school.  Because Easter is a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ I don't know how that could be discussed in a school setting without offending non-Christian parents, atheists, and so on. \n\nPerhaps the Easter Bunny is a safe topic. The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the Spring season.\n \nThe bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have it's origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s. The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s. And were made of pastry and sugar.  http://www.holidays.net/easter/bunny1.htm\n\nThe Easter Bunny is not a religious figure so I would think you could discuss him. I do not think, however, that you can discuss the Easter egg, as it seems to have ties to Christianity.\nSee http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/8149/egg.html\n\nAltough, it depends upon which website you look at regarding colored eggs.  This site says, "Egyptians and Persians used to dye eggs in spring colors and give them to friends as a symbol of renewed life long before Christ was born." http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=102&category=life\n\nI think I'd play it safe and have a celebration of the return of spring.  :-)
418406
Easter was a pagen holiday, for fertility. I know this is cliche, but have you ever heard the term "Multipling like rabbits"? Ergo - Bunnies. I am not entirely certain that is why the bunny is there, but I am certain easter was a fertility holiday.
444055
Yes, I firmly believe Jesus died and rose from the dead.  I believe also that this is why we celebrate Easter.  The bunny and egg thing just came around to entertain the kiddos.
22389
How could one be afriad of bunnies? They are awesome pets! I have 4! ~tracie
211622
because they do - directly and indirectly.\nEaster Eggs:\nAccording to the ancient tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church , Mary Magdalene was a wealthy woman from whom Christ expelled seven "demons." On Easter morning she was the first to bear witness to his resurrection. She is called "Equal to the Apostles." The Eastern tradition tells us that after the Ascension she journeyed to Rome where she was admitted to the court of Tiberius Caesar because of her high social standing. After describing how poorly Pilate had administered justice at Jesus' trial, she told Caesar that Jesus had risen from the dead. To help explain his resurrection she picked up an egg from the dinner table. Caesar responded that a human being could no more rise from the dead than the egg in her hand turn red. The egg turned red immediately, which is why red eggs have been exchanged at Easter for centuries in the Byzantine East. \nEaster Bunny:\nThe day we celebrate as Easter was formerly a pagan holiday. The church decided to set the date for the resurrection of Jesus at the spring solstice, and then named it for a Celtic pagan feast day they wished to eradicate. It was named for Eostre, the goddess of the spring, and fertility. She was depicted with a white rabbit (the Easter Bunny).