Why is the Rabbit the Symbol of Easter: 5 Facts About Rabbits

There are many reasons to be curious about rabbits, including their significance as an Easter symbol and their relationship to easter eggs. Here are 5 rabbit facts that might help with some Easter questions.

1. Spring and Fertility

Since before the advent of Christianity, rabbits have been connected to spring and fertility in Germany. In actuality, Eostra, the pagan Germanic goddess of fertility and spring, is symbolized by a rabbit. This is not surprising given how frequently rabbits reproduce. Young rabbits can reproduce, and they can have several litters a year. According to Pet Health Network, this paganic representation of spring and fertility is thought to have merged with Christian practices in 17th-century Germany.

2. No, Rabbits Don't Lay Eggs

The fertility symbols eggs, rabbits, and spring have been around since the beginning of time. Even though rabbits don't lay eggs, this association of the two symbols seemed to make sense. Later, the long-standing idea of rebirth would also be connected to the Christian belief.

The term "Oschter Haws," which is German for "Easter hare," first appears in writings from the 17th century. Folklore holds that the Easter hare would place brightly colored eggs in the nests or baskets of good-behaving kids. In the 18th century, German immigrants brought the Easter Bunny custom to America. Over time, the custom expanded to include toys and chocolates in addition to Easter eggs. says mentalfloss.com.

3. Rabbit and the Moon

According to How Stuff Works, In addition to being the emblem of Eostre, rabbits play an important role in this tale because they have a strong association with the moon in paganism. The moon was thought to represent the hare, and the moon's phases determine the day that Easter is celebrated each year. The Sunday following the Paschal moon, which is the first full moon following the Vernal Equinox, is when Easter is observed.

4. Chocolates and Pet Bunnies

Easter brings a lot of sweet treats, chocolates are a crowd favorite. This is why Vets for Pets wants to remind pet owners-and perhaps anyone petting wild rabbits-that chocolate is poisonous to rabbits, just like it is to all other household pets. Theobromine, a chemical found in chocolate, as well as caffeine make it potentially lethal to rabbits.

5. Myth and Species

The egg and the rabbit were the goddess Eostre's primary symbols in Anglo-Saxon paganism. According to a myth, the goddess once discovered a wounded bird in the dead of winter and changed it into a hare to save its life. The hare could still lay eggs, even though it was no longer a bird.

How Stuff Works says that the very first Easter bunnies were probably hares rather than rabbits. Although the reason for this transition from hare to rabbit is unknown, it is important to note that hares tend to be larger than rabbits. Like the modern Easter Bunny, hares typically have longer legs and ears.