In many parts of the world, Today the children have woken up with the illusion of looking for the traditional eggs that the Easter rabbit leaves hidden. In Spain, it is not a tradition, however, for years, colored eggs and rabbit figures have filled the shelves of supermarkets and pastry shops, competing with torrijas and caramel nazarenes.
And it is that, regardless of our customs or beliefs, the combination of magic, fun and chocolate, is a cocktail that children love and, let's face it, adults who enjoy seeing the illusion in the faces of our children. But, Where does the tradition of easter eggs come from? . And how does a rabbit bring them? If, like me, you like to join in on all the celebrations and explain their meaning to your children, keep reading and discover the origin of this tradition.
The origin of the rabbit and easter eggs
Since ancient times, after the harsh winter there were hardly any provisions left. Fortunately, with the arrival of spring, too many birds arrived that began to lay eggs, on which humans fed, until they could hunt again with the arrival of good temperatures.
Also, for many civilizations, the egg represented fertility and life so each time a hard time ended, they were decorated and exchanged. The egg was given to celebrate the arrival of spring and with it the rebirth of life.
As for the rabbit tradition, its origins are not very clear. It is believed that their choice is due to their high procreative capacity. In a season when the fertility of the land was celebrated after winter, the facility to procreate the rabbit, had a great symbolic value. In addition, the ancient peoples of northern Europe saw in the hare a symbol of strength and rebirth. Its strong hind legs allowed it to always move upwards with ease, while its weak front legs made it difficult to descend.
With the arrival of Christianity, it was wanted to put an end to the pagan rites and this holiday was chosen to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Thus, the Easter rabbit that brought the decorated eggs with which the days of abundance were celebrated, became a messenger of Christ.
The legend of the Easter bunny according to Christian tradition
After Jesus died on the cross, his body was taken to a tomb in which there was a rabbit. The little animal could see how the people mourned the death of Christ and understood that the person who was there must be very important and dear to the people. The rabbit, also sad, remained next to the body of Jesus and as the days passed, it witnessed his resurrection. Seeing Jesus more alive than ever, he wanted to communicate it to everyone so that they would no longer be sad. But there was a problem and that is that rabbits cannot speak, so he thought he could distribute eggs decorated with bright colors and that everyone would understand their message of life and joy.
Legend has it that since then, the rabbit goes out every Easter Sunday to lay colored eggs in every house to remind the world of the joy of resurrection and life.
Over time, the traditional bird eggs, have been traded in for elaborate chocolate egg baskets, which delight children and adults, although in many houses, the tradition of cooking eggs, painting them and hiding them is still maintained, so that children look for them on Easter Sunday.
As you can see, regardless of the beliefs of each family, Easter is a beautiful time to celebrate the joy and rebirth of life. And you, how do you celebrate Easter?