Chocolate Egg + Easter Bunny = Jesus

A few of us were talking this morning about Easter and the reason why people give each other chocolate eggs and also as to the significance of the Easter bunny. I saw on channel 4 news last night that most people did not know the reason for this and I have to admit that I am one of the majority with no clue to this beyond a cynical view that it was a marketing agenda for multi-national corporations to make more money after people gave up chocolate for lent and come the end, they would devour chocolate eggs.

After a quick check on Wikipedia, I was led to believe that the Easter Bunny is a traditional holiday character in the form of a giving rabbit which is said to leave gifts to children at Easter and originates in Western European cultures.

Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of extreme antiquity; since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth (to large litters) in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox.

The rabbit was used in early Easter celebrations to symbolize fertility, perhaps because these animals give birth to multiple offspring at a time.

The Romans believed that all life proceeded from an egg, so the egg came to symbolize birth and rebirth. Christians regarded eggs as the seeds of life and attributed them with the symbol of Jesus' resurrection. One wonders why the church doesn't get more involved in this and produce kinder-type eggs with various toys inside. Imagine a toy crucifix set and you have to fit it together. It could even come with what looks like a joke but it's actually scripture. I imagine these would sell incredibly well if marketed (in)correctly.

I hope you all have a great time whatever you're up to. I'll be off from today and back on Wednesday for a full Easter break report. Thanks for stopping by!