There are many traditional things associated with Easter: bunny rabbits, colorful eggs, lilies, and even butterflies. But, how did this come to be? I've always wondered why bunnies hop around amongst colorfully painted eggs ever year, so I went out on a quest to find the answer to this and a few other Easter traditions.
Bunnies
They're cute as can be and hop around like they just don't care. However, there is actually a deeper meaning behind why bunnies are one of the symbols of Easter. Bunnies are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life, two things that are associated with spring and Easter. The origination of the Easter bunny was believed to have been brought to America by German immigrants in the 17th century. These German immigrants brought the tradition of having an oviparous rabbit who laid colorful eggs in a nest called Osterhase.
Bunnies are not the only furry critter that have a connection to this spring holiday. In Switzerland, a cuckoo bird delivers the Easter eggs, not a bunny. Other animals such as foxes, chicks, roosters or storks are also regarded as Easter gift bearers in German culture.
Colorful Eggs
There could be several meanings behind Easter eggs. It could date back to the German tradition of a chick being the one to deliver gifts. Also, many people give up things they don't need during lent, the six-week fasting period before Easter. Traditional things to give up for lent included eggs, which are a common ingredient in many sweet things, and once Lent was over on Easter, it was a treat to have these things. So children get baskets full of painted eggs, or those colorful plastic eggs filled with things that should only be an every-once-in-a-while treat, and some toys. Easter egg hunts are fun, too, and that is kind of like kids (and adults, too, maybe) are finding the eggs (a possible metaphor for the luxuries of life) through lots of hard searching. This could be translated to mean that people have to work for some of the good things in life. The most likely and historically backed-up explanation for this connection is that eggs are an ancient symbol of fertility and renewal. Eggs and chicks go hand-in-hand, symbolizing new life.
Lilies
While roses are common gifts to give on Valentine's Day, being symbols of love, lilies are given as gifts on Easter, being symbols of hope, life, and purity. There is also a spiritual meaning to this. There is a quote from the Bible that says "consider the lilies of the field." As you can see, there is a connection because it is a lily and it says lilies. This trumpet-shaped flower was brought to America by a World War I soldier named Louis Houghton. Not only was he a war hero, but he also brought back a pretty flower. Thanks dude, you rock!
Butterflies
Those magical flying insects you only see in spring are in fact significant symbols of Easter. Their entire life cycle has been used to symbolize the life of Jesus, from caterpillar to majestic butterfly. Plus, they are pretty, colorful and are abundant in spring. I wouldn't suggest trying to put live butterflies in an Easter basket though...
