Even though I grew up in a Catholic household and had to endure all the religious ceremonies around Easter, the only symbol of this event that stuck with me was the Easter Bunny. It wasn’t the excitement of searching for chocolate eggs (although Chocolate is my poison!), but finding toys hidden around the house. A friend, once said I was a spoiled child because of this, but I don’t think I was because these were toys I was going to get anyway; you know like a bike, skipping rope, bouncie balls and sometimes new clothes. My parents were smart! I was taught to appreciate what I received because they were specially delivered by the Easter Bunny!!!
So you can already guess that the Easter Bunny is very similar to Santa Claus at Christmas. Apparently it’s origin dates back to the 1600’s where it was first mentioned in Georg Franck von Frankenau’s De ovis paschalibus (About the Easter Egg), which referred to an Alsacian tradition of a hare bringing Easter Eggs.
The first edible Easter Bunnies were made out of pastry and sugar, during the 1800’s in Germany. But the tradition continued in America with the settlement of the Pennsylvania Dutch during the 1700’s. Apparently, children would build brightly coloured nests out of caps and bonnets, and hide them in their homes for the “Osterhase”, who would lay coloured eggs in them. But that was only if the children were well behaved!
Here are some bunny items I found laying around:
Maileg Bunnies from Tartooful
Felted Bunny warmer from Hut Up, Berlin, via Notcot.
HaRe Bunny with “Busy Bunny” buttons via Notcot.
Our sleepy bunny
Vintage Easter cards, circa 1907.
If you’re lucky enough to be in the Beach in Toronto this weekend, do make a point of going to the Lion’s Club Easter Parade! See the Toronto Star for details.
Happy Easter!!
Cheers!
