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Apart from Coco Coala, Rock'n'Roll, Root Biomechanics and the atom bomb, what have the Americans ever done for us?
Well try the Easter Bunny.
:morning:
To the pagans hares (and rabbits) were symbols of life and fertility because there was a plentiful source of food. During the spring months both became a focal reminder of procreation. By the 1600s the rabbit had become more associated with Easter festivities and was a custom known and practiced in Germany. The first edible Easter Bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s and were made of pastry and sugar. The Easter Bunny was introduced to America in the 1700s by German settlers to Pennsylvania Dutch country. The Easter Bunny or Osterhase (pronounced in the dialect of the region Oschter Haws) was a major figure in the calendar of children and his arrival on the day before Easter would equate to the arrival of Christkindl (Kris Kindle) on Christmas Eve. Many of the old myths were described in the writings of fairy tails which became popular in the 19th century. In legend, the Easter Bunny brought baskets full of coloured eggs to the homes of good children on the night before Easter. The Easter Bunny would either put the baskets in a designated place or hide them somewhere in the house for the children to find when they wake up in the morning. As a variation children started to build nest for the magical birds that laid the eggs. The children used their hats and bonnets and the nest were usually in out of the way places on the farm. Fearing the loss of expensive clothing the frugal parents sought out the nests and filled them with coloured eggs. Somehow the roles were reversed and parents hid the eggs so as the children would take pleasure in finding them. As the custom spread throughout the 18th century the nests became Easter Baskets. Until the 18th century the term ‘cony’ (pronounced cunny) was used to describe adult rabbits, and rabbit was the preferred name for young rabbits. Cony Island for example was inhabited by many rabbits but “Cunny” was an Old English colloquialism for female genitalia and so during the century 'cunny' became polite speak 'bunny', and hence the Easter Bunny.
There does not appear to be any attempt to infer the rabbits laid the eggs but the symbolic combination of eggs for fertility; and rabbits for procreation were enough. No one can be sure why the eggs had to be coloured but certain colours such as red and green were symbolic of life and growth respectively.
Eggs were traditonally not eaten during Lent (the fast kept by Catholic prior to Easter) so it may be eating brightly coloured eggs may have had some celebratory significance to devotees. Certainly in agricultural societies by the end of Lent there would be an excess of eggs to eat. Hence a ceremony of eating eggs would seem perfectly natural. It has also been suggested endulging in colourful egg eating during this time may have been a Protestant preoccupation. ;)
Happy holiday season
:drinks
toeslayer
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