Hannah Golden

Easter is often thought of as a time when spring truly begins getting into swing.

The holiday brings in warmer weather, along with chocolate rabbits and pastel dyed eggs. Traditionally it was celebrated as the resurrection of Jesus, though, much like Christmas festivities, many non-Christians choose to celebrate the holiday, instead simply enjoying chocolate candies and egg hunts.

But, have you ever stopped and wondered why so many of us celebrate Easter with eggs and bunnies? The answer may be more complicated than it seems. 

One of the many interpretations behind the holiday of Easter lies behind Ēostre, the Germanic goddess of spring and fertility, whose animal symbol, according to Time, was the rabbit. Described by St. Bede in his work The Reckoning of Time, the month of April was once called “Eosturmonath,” named after Ēostre, in which feasts were celebrated in her honor. Sound familiar?

As for the eggs we all love to decorate, they were often thought of as a symbol of fertility in pre-Christian pagan traditions, though the act of painting them may have been spawned by Easter’s religious connotations. 

The origins of Easter are complicated and difficult to get a straightforward history for. Much like Christmas and Halloween, the traditions we associate and celebrate Easter with are amalgamations of many different cultural holidays and festivals that have been celebrated for millenia.