Why Is There an Easter Bunny?

My five year old nephew asked the other day, “Why is there an Easter bunny that brings eggs if only birds can lay eggs?”

It’s a great question – and one countless other children have asked.

Here are five reasons why the Easter Bunny – and not the Easter Birdie – brings those eggs around on Easter Sunday morning.

1. Rabbits are a traditional symbol of spring because they are known for their fertility.
2. Rabbits – and their ability to have so many offspring – encourage hope in a better, brighter future that is abundantly fruitful.
3. An egg-laying rabbit speaks to people’s desire for something mystical and magical in their spring celebrations. It’s a little like magic when flowers break through the frozen ground and free people from the long, hard winter.
4. Rabbits symbolize innocence and wonder, childlike qualities that correspond with the rebirth and rejuvenation people feel when spring returns.
5. Like the lamb, rabbits are associated with religious sacrifice; Easter is a time when Christians celebrate the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus.

I’m not sure if any of these reasons will satisfy my inquisitive nephew, but it may satisfy the curiosity of some adults who have often pondered the same question.

Global Recipes for Easter Eggs

Whether you have hard-boiled Easter eggs to use up or not, spring is the perfect time to look at how different cultures around the world enjoy hard-boiled eggs.

In Ethiopia, hard-boiled eggs are a traditional part of the meal. Dishes such as doro wat call for a hard-boiled egg for each person. Most Ethiopians are live in rural areas and can raise their own chickens and collect their own eggs. In fact, livestock such as chickens are an important investment for most Ethiopian families.

Many Swedish children love eating a sandwich that combines hard-boiled eggs with cod roe caviar (kalles kaviar) for a salty and delicious snack. Other variations include shrimp and creme fraiche. KidCulture has already answered the question, “Can you feed a kid caviar?” in this blog post.

Scotch eggs are hard-boiled eggs, wrapped in sausage, rolled in bread crumbs and then deep-fried. I’m not sure how likely your children are to eat it so try it out on some willing grown-ups first! Here’s a Scotch egg recipe from Epicurious.com and a YouTube video that shows you how to do it.

In the Philippines, egg sarciado is a boiled egg recipe in a tomato and onion sauce. Here’s an egg sarciado recipe you can try.

If you love Filipino food, check out Ang Sarap, a blog with recipes from the Philippines and other parts of the world.

And for more amazing egg ideas ranging from omelets to soft-cooked eggs and more, check out Around the World in 80 Eggs from Smithsonian magazine.

Put On Your Easter Bonnet

I read a great piece by Robin Givhan in the Washington Post about the dying tradition of Easter fashion, “Easter fashion has a rich history but its glory is eroding”.

It reminded me of Easters when I was a child. After my three siblings and I woke my parents up at the crack of dawn to hunt eggs and eat chocolate, we were helped into our Easter outfits and went to church.

I still can remember some of those dresses – the one my grandmother sewed for me, in particular (see above photo – author is second from left).

I even wore a little while hat and finished off the look with white tights and patent leather shoes.

Never mind that my brothers and sisters and I had been tearing the house apart just hours before; by the time we arrived at church we looked like perfect angels.

Unfortunately, it’s not a tradition I’ve carried on with my son; at least, not in the last couple of years.

With everything else on my mind, a new outfit for either of us – or even a “freshened up” outfit for either of us, just seems beyond my logistical abilities.

As much as I would love to present that put-together, polished, and reverent face to the world, I’m lucky if I make it to church on time (most of the time).

It’s a good goal for me to set for next Easter’s service. Until then I’ll just try to remember to leave the flip-flops at home!