Easter Bunny
What will the Easter bunny bring?
Easter is one of the few holidays that are celebrated on a global scale. One can truly see the allure of the Easter season, as it is a time when the grim desolate days of winter are fading fast and the colorful spring foliage begins to burst into life anew. Easter is, simply put, a time of new beginnings for everyone. This wonderful time of year is also in the top three most looked forward to holidays for young children. This is due, of course, to the legendary coming of the renowned Easter bunny.
History of the Easter Bunny
The secular traditions of Easter date back to a festival celebrated in the 2nd century in which Saxon pagans paid homage to the Goddess of the spring season. At some point shortly thereafter, the influence of a large flow of Christian missionaries brought the beliefs of Christianity to this area, and this pagan festival gradually became a celebration of the rebirth, the Resurrection, of Jesus Christ.
The Easter bunny legend began with the fact that the aforementioned Saxons viewed rabbits as symbols of new life. This was for a couple of different reasons. First, rabbits mate and have many new litters of little bunnies every year. Also, the rabbits would seem to come out more often during the spring season. Originally, during the early times of the Easter holiday, the children would eagerly wait for the Easter bunny to come and lay nests full of brightly colored eggs. In those times, the kids would actually build the nests and have them waiting for the Easter bunny.
The Easter Bunny Today
Much has changed since those early days of rabbits laying eggs in nests, but then, a considerable amount has remained the same. These days, the nest is no longer a factor, but then again, isn't it? Now we have Easter baskets, which are essentially the same things as the nests that children constructed so long ago. The eggs are still a major part, though modern eggs are not so often real eggs but are instead plastic eggs with candy and money inside. The last few years has brought with it the concept of Easter gifts, such as toys. One has to wonder, what will the future bring for Easter? Will toys be the norm and eggs the exception? Only the Easter bunny knows!
Easter Party ideas
There are a number of exciting ways in which you can offer your children, as well as the children of other parents in your area, a more memorable Easter. Have your regular Easter egg hunt and invite friends, family and anyone else in your community with children. After the party, have one of the adults dress up in an Easter bunny costume. You can generally get an Easter costume at any local department store or costume shop in your area. If you can find smaller child-sized Easter bunny costumes, get one for each of the children to wear as they go about the annual Easter egg hunt. There's nothing cuter than a yard full of Easter bunnies running around picking up eggs and just having a great time.
