Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A Story Of Easter's Origin

Easter Origins Have you ever asked yourself where the legend of the Easter Bunny came from? I mean really, do rabbits and colorful eggs really say anything about Jesus' resurrection? The response is no. The tradition of the Easter Bunny was created in the 13th century and comes from pre-Christian Germany. The pagan people of that time period worshipped numerous gods and goddesses. The goddess of spring and fertility was known as Eostra, which is where the name Easter came from. As you may know, spring is the time for rebirth. Because of this, Eostra's sign was the rabbit. The rabbit signified regeneration since rabbits are well renowned for their significant rate of reproduction. With time, this representation of Eostra result in other myths and in the 1500s, the earliest fable of the Easter Bunny was published. Now since you know where the Easter Bunny came from you are likely asking yourself to know about the eggs. Eggs have been a symbol of fertility for years and were likely included in early pagan festivities of spring. As Christianity became more widespread in Europe and in Germany, previous pagan customs began to mesh with modern Christian celebrations. Nowadays, we know that Easter eggs signify Jesus' resurrection. Over time the Easter Bunny myth developed still further and turned into what we know it as today. girls easter basketComparable to the myth of Santa Clause, German families would convince their children that if they were well behaved the Easter Bunny would arrive and bring eggs that they could trade for sweets and various other treats. People began the tradition of creating nests for the eggs and these nests ultimately morphed into the cheerful colorful Easter baskets which we have today. The fable of the Easter Bunny first found its way to the US in the 1700s when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania. These days, this Easter belief is a widespread part of our traditions as are tons of other norms which come from the homes of our immigrant forefathers. If you'd like to play the Bunny this Easter, purchase a basket such as our Girls Easter Basket for somebody you love. Baskets By Rita provides numerous Easter baskets to choose between and is offering 10% off all Easter gift baskets for the month of March. Girls Easter Basket filled with special goodies for Easter giving. This small Easter basket is the perfect combination of toys and goodies for a child. We filled our white willow basket with a butterfly coloring sketch pad activity book and 4 pack of crayons, plastic Easter eggs filled with candy, M& M's, Starburst candy, Disney fun straw, Jelly Belly sour jelly beans, Gold Fish crackers, Plush Easter Bunny and a silk butterfly. Follow is on Twitter or find us on Facebook. http://www.basketsbyrita.com