Easter Traditions

As with many other Christian dates, the celebration of Easter extends beyond the church.  Since its origins, it has been a time of celebration and feasting.  Today it is commercially important as well, seeing wide sales of greeting cards and confectionery such as chocolate Easter eggs, marshmallow bunnies, and jelly beans!

Throughout the United States, the Easter holiday has been partially securalized, so that some families participate only in the attendant revelry, which can include decorating Easter eggs and participating in Easter egg hunts.  In America, eggs and other treats are delivered by the Easter Bunny in an Easter basket.  Many families may attend worship services on Easter morning, then participate in a feast or party in the afternoon.

While much of the legend surrounding the Easter Bunny comes from modern-day stories like Peter Cottontail, the use of a hare or rabbit goes back to Celtic paganism.  The hare, or rabbit, was a symbol of new life to pagans, so it was adopted by early Christians to represent the new life in Christ.  The use of the bunny as a symbol of Easter occurred in German writings as early as the 1500’s.

The egg has a long history of being part of creation theories and celebrations.  The Easter egg is not a Christian tradition, but it is believed to have come from Druidic celebrations of Spring.  Dyed eggs were also used by Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans during spring festivals.  Christians adopted the eggs and used them to represent rebirth and resurrection.

Do any other traditions or practices accompany your Easter celebration?

This blog adapted, in part, from http://holidays.net/easter.