Easter Traditions
April 8, 2015
Some Easter traditions or customs appear to have come down through the ages from pagan traditions.
An ancient symbol of new life, the egg has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian point of view, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection.
According to some sources the tradition dates back as far as the 13th century. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration.
The exact origins of the mythical Easter rabbit are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life.
According to various sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in the Americas in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and brought their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase.” Their children made nests in which Osterhase could lay its colored eggs.
Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and Canada and the fabled rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.
Halloween is the best candy selling holiday followed closely by Easter. Among the most popular types of chocolate Easter candy are chocolate eggs, which date back to early 19th century Europe. The jelly bean, became associated with Easter in the 1930s (although the jelly bean’s origins reportedly date all the way back to a Biblical-era concoction called a Turkish Delight).
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