Easter Egg Hunts and the Bunny Too

Yesterday we celebrated Easter with my wife’s sister and her family in their new home in New Paltz. They hosted Easter dinner for their friends, my wife’s step mom and us. We had delicious Italian anti-pasto and a non tradition meal; turkey, corn casserole, asparagus, shrimp in garlic and oil. It was a good time with good company. But we didn’t have an Easter Egg hunt for Jake, whose 20 months. That didn’t matter to him since he chased their dog Frisket for a good part of the day like she was the item to be hunted.

This morning before 9 AM I had been asked twice if the Easter Bunny had come for Jake and if he did an Easter Egg Hunt. When I got in to the office a little later a conversation ensued on where this all comes. My business partner Matt had said he understood it was a pagan ritual related to the spring solstice and that the bunny represents rabbits emerging from their boroughs and the eggs represent the ability to hunt again in spring for a plentiful bounty, or something there about.

I was like ohhh! So it’s another pagan ritual like the Christmas tree. I find it really interesting how pagan rituals migrated into Christianity in the name of converting people. Beyond that it astonishes me the commercial aspect that these rituals take on.

I wanted to see for myself so I googled the meaning of Easter Eggs and the Bunny, sure enough a history somewhat similar to the one Matt shared came up, although this one had Google Ads attached and I think it was sponsored by Hallmark.

I never got the connection between the Church meaning of Easter and the Bunny but now I understand it’s about tradition, celebration and early conversion. At least now I can share with my where it comes from as he grows.

Tom Pellicane – Publisher, canvas Magazine