Why Does the Easter Bunny Hide Eggs?

Eggs were associated with spring and new life in many pre-Christian nations. The egg became a symbol of the resurrection, and the empty shell became a metaphor for Jesus’ tomb when early Christians adopted these ideas.

During Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter, it was taboo to consume eggs. The fast was broken on Easter Sunday with feasting and revelry, and eggs were a significant component of the festivities.

This was particularly true for those who could not afford meat. Eggs were also given to the church as Good Friday contributions, and the lord of the manor was frequently given eggs as Easter gifts.

The royals joined in on the act, too: in 1290, Edward I bought 450 eggs to be decorated with.

The Easter egg hunt, on the other hand, is a German tradition. Some say it all started when Protestant reformer Martin Luther organized egg hunts for his congregation in the late 16th century.

The eggs would be hidden by the males for the women and children to discover. This was an allusion to the resurrection tale, in which women discovered the empty tomb.

The Easter egg hunt is associated with the Easter Bunny – or the Easter Hare as he was originally known — in German Lutheran tradition.

The Easter Hare was first mentioned in print in Georg Franck von Franckenau’s treatise De ovis paschalibus (‘About Easter Eggs’) in 1682.

Hares and rabbits, on the other hand, have been linked to Easter in Central Europe since the Middle Ages.

Hares have long been associated with fertility and the Virgin Mary and can be seen in paintings of the Virgin and Christ Child as well as illuminated manuscripts.

The hare was said to bring a basket of brilliantly painted eggs for all the good children, which were then hidden around the house and garden for them to locate.