Easter without the bunny is about as unthinkable as Christmas without the tree.  It is impossible to enter a grocery store during the Easter season and not see a large variety of bunnies; there are the candy bunnies, the large chocolate ones dressed in beautifully colored foil, the stuffed bunnies that doting parents will buy for their children, and for those visiting the local pet shops, there are plenty of real bunnies that look so cute and soft that many a parent just cannot imagine how to go home to their little angels without such a little cutie.  Of course, the Easter story is devoid of bunnies, especially considering that there is no mention of any bunnies on the hill of Golgotha or at the garden tomb.  Nonetheless, the little rabbit has wormed its way into the holiday and the traditions of the people worldwide, and it is no wonder that he is here to stay. We can apparently thank the Germans for this tradition, because records show a rabbit associated with the festivities as early as the late fifteen hundreds. The bunny then traveled with the Dutch and arrived at the American shores in the mid seventeen hundreds.  Of course, the Egyptians as well as the Celts had their own spring traditions that involved the hare, which is related to the ordinary rabbit. Since many Christian holidays are a clever blending of pagan symbols with religious overtones, it is no surprise that the bunny soon got incorporated into the festivities.

Another must-have for the Easter celebration is the Easter egg.  Coloring an Easter egg is quite often a beloved family activity that is captured on photos and that builds the memories of a family. Prior to the emergence of Christianity as a worldwide phenomenon, eggs were decorated during the spring festivities to herald the advent of the awakening of nature, to appease the fertility gods and goddesses, and to make beautiful gifts for friends and neighbors. Since the egg came to be seen as a symbol of renewal, it was only a small step from the pagan tradition to be included in the Christian celebration of the resurrection. 

Of course some of the traditions we so often associate with Easter, like the Easter basket, are not so much an item of folklore like bunnies and eggs, but much more an outcropping of tradition.  During the heyday of Catholicism, Easter dinner would be packed up inside a basket and taken to mass for a blessing.  Later on the food would then be carried to either friends or neighbors to be enjoyed, or it would simply be taken back home.  The tradition has fallen a bit by the wayside, but the basket is here to stay. Quite often we see it decorated with beautiful candy or chocolate eggs, a large assortment of tasty and sugary treats, and of course a chocolate bunny as the centerpiece. The traditional rendering of a lamb in decorations is not surprising either. Throughout the Bible, the lamb has been the longstanding symbol of Jesus Christ, first as the sacrificial lamb, and then as the lamb who overcomes death itself with a strength that is second to none.  For this reason, a lamb is quite often portrayed in decorations to be reminiscent of the sacrifice made. However you choose to celebrate Easter, enjoy yourself and create beautiful memories for yourself and your family!