Traditional Easter Animals
Source: ItsLassieTime
We have all seen the Easter Bunny, haven't we? Taken part in Easter egg hunts and cooed over fluffy chicks and lambs in the springtime sunshine? Well, why are rabbits, chicks and lambs associated so strongly with the traditional festival of Easter in spring?
If you ask anyone what they would think of as an Easter tradition they would say Easter bunnies and eggs. The festival of Easter is, essentially, thought of as a Christian one so why do rabbits feature so strongly? The tradition of rabbits at Easter is actually based on a pagan festival that celebrates the goddess Eostre, the goddess of fertility. The rabbit was actually a hare and Eostre was associated with the hare and eggs. The rabbit first became apparent in Germany in the 16th century when children would believe that, if they had been good, the Oschter Haws (rabbit) would deliver colourful eggs. The hare is also associated with the moon and, as the dates of Easter are related to the lunar cycle, the two became linked.
Easter is also traditionally associated with springtime and new life. The egg is associated with the concept of new life and birth. However, lambs and chickens are also associated with Easter and, actually, have their roots in Christianity. The lamb is said to depict Jesus as it was a lamb that was slaughtered on the first day of the Jewish festival of Passover and the death of Jesus is, therefore, related to this.
Chickens are also a popular concept at Easter. The chicken breaking out of the egg is related to the resurrection of Jesus from his tomb, the empty shell depicting the tomb, and new life.
So, next time you see Easter bunnies and lambs, chickens and eggs, remember that they are not just a novelty at Easter but have a deep significance. Whilst they are connected to a Christian festival, they also have their roots in ancient pagan celebrations.
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