The Origins of the Easter Bunny Aren't All That Ancient

The Easter Bunny is a symbolic holiday character that doesn't make a lot of sense. What does a bunny rabbit and colored eggs have to do with the resurrection of Jesus? Nothing, actually. We often assume that the Christian holiday just incorporated older pagan traditions for a spring holiday the same way that Saturnalia was repurposed for Christmas and Samhain gave us a date for All Saint's Day. Indeed, eggs are a symbol of rebirth and renewal, and rabbits are everywhere in the spring.

Only it turns out that the traditions associated with spring celebrations mainly concern hares, which are a different animal altogether even though they are related. And their connections with ancient pagan mythology? You might be surprised to learn the Easter bunny myth is certainly mythological, but it's not all that ancient. That bunny that brings colored eggs for Easter is more a fairy tale than an ancient tradition. Read about the real origins of the Easter bunny at Mental Floss. 


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