Weetje….
In England and the US, people talk about ‘Easter’ when they talk about Easter. In Germany, they speak of “Ostern. According to some, both terms could be traced back to that German goddess: Ostara. In the Netherlands, we talk about ‘Easter’: a term that comes from the Jewish Passover festival.
Hares
If you take a walk through the supermarket shortly before Easter, hares and Easter eggs predominate. They most certainly do not come from the Bible, but where did they come from?
Mythes
Initially, stories like this one were passed down from generation to generation. Hence, different versions of this myth also circulate. For example, there is a version of Ostara the goddess who causes spring to begin. The story goes that one year the goddess was a little late and spring came late. To make up for her mistake somewhat, she decided to rescue a young bird that had almost succumbed to the cold. But the cold had already done its work: the bird could no longer fly. The goddess thereupon transformed the bird into a hare. The hare was able to lay eggs one day of the year: on the day when Ostara was worshiped.
The fifteenth century
Around the fifteenth century, other myths – slightly different from each other, but leading to the same outcome – a hare laying eggs – Around 1680, the first story of a hare laying eggs and hiding them in the garden was published. The story would give rise to new traditions: German children would put hats or caps in the garden and on Easter morning these were filled with eggs. German immigrants would have brought the story and the traditions associated with it with them to the U.S.. And there they gladly adopted the traditions. Gradually, in the process, the real eggs gave way to chocolate eggs, and Easter bunnies made of sugar and chocolate also began to appear.
The eggs
The egg is traditionally considered a symbol of rebirth. Not only here in the West, but also further afield. For example, did you know that the Persians usher in the New Year with painted eggs? Putting such a symbol of rebirth on the table at Easter is not so crazy. After all, Easter is also about being born again: Christians celebrate that Christ conquered death, rose from the dead and paved the way to paradise. Thanks to their God, Christians can make a fresh start and eternal life awaits them. Therefore, the egg as a symbol of rebirth may have come from numerous sources. And perhaps the Easter bunny was added later and thus not the Easter bunny but the egg was there first.
Would we ever find out exactly where the Easter Bunny and his eggs came from? The chances seem slim. Various stories, myths and symbols form a tangle we call “Easter” today. It seems impossible to trace the origin of each ritual.
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