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12/12/2003

His first coming was as a Lamb; His second is like unto a Lion

08:47 PM

Easter as we know it today is a Christian holiday. However, its roots trace back to a pagan ancestry. The name "Easter" comes from the Saxon Eostre, who was a goddess of the moon. Because rabbits are connected with the moon in so many cultures, it seems natural for them to then be connected with Easter as well. See Rabbit in the Moon for more details on the connection of the rabbit and the moon. The goddess Eostre was actually symbolized by the rabbit.

Another reason that they are connected is that rabbits represent fertility. The goddess Eostre was also connected with fertility, and we can see this connection by looking at the word estrus and comparing it to Eostre. The tradition of the Easter rabbit bringing eggs came from Germany. German children believe that if they were good, the Oschter Haws (a magical rabbit) would lay a nest full of coloured eggs on Easter. This tradition is said to have come about when a woman who loved children hid coloured eggs for the children to find. As they were looking, the children saw a hare hopping by and thought it had left the eggs for them.

Another way that rabbits might have been connected with eggs comes from a myth about the rabbit being a bird at first. Eostre turned the bird into a rabbit, but let it run with the speed at which it once flew. She also allowed it to still be able to lay eggs.

Eggs also relate to rabbits since they both are a sign of fertility and new life.

Article taken from link:  http://www.tsukiyo.org/Myths/easter.html