Thread: Where did the Easter Bunny come from?

I was at Walmart and I see all the Easter stuff, and I was wondering where this idea of the "Easter Bunny" came from? Does anyone on the PB think that it is wrong to get your kids "Easter baskets" and Easter candy, and stuff like that?

The legend of the Easter Bunny is far from a modern invention. Long ago, the rabbit was the earthly symbol of the pagan goddess Eastre, and was worshipped in the pagan festival of Eastre.

Germans brought the legend of the Easter rabbit to America, though Easter itself wasn't widely celebrated in America until after the Civil War.

The hare has long been a symbol of fertility and renewal of life -- which fit in with the Christian tradition of Easter and the tradition of Easter eggs.


In the United States, the Easter Bunny is fabled to lay the eggs in the nests prepared for it or hide them for children to find.

Originally Posted by Scott Shahan

I was at Walmart and I see all the Easter stuff, and I was wondering where this idea of the "Easter Bunny" came from? Does anyone on the PB think that it is wrong to get your kids "Easter baskets" and Easter candy, and stuff like that?

The Easter Bunny comes from a magic cave in the sky. Come on, Scott, everyone knows this.

And here I thought the Easter Bunny came from Duluth.... Another fable destroyed.

I knew it the bunny came from the clouds! Now I know why the bunny is so soft Whata talkin about willis??

Originally Posted by Scott Shahan

Whata talkin about willis??

Hey Scott,

When you come up here to Fargo, we will have to get together and have a cup of coffee and let me beat you at another game of chess. I hope you have gotten a little better since the last time we played. The last game we played I think I took all of your pieces in about 10 mins. Thats alright though, it takes time to get to know the game.

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail, hippity hoppity usurping Jesus' glory.

Originally Posted by Heather Prentice

Hey Scott,

When you come up here to Fargo, we will have to get together and have a cup of coffee and let me beat you at another game of chess. I hope you have gotten a little better since the last time we played. The last game we played I think I took all of your pieces in about 10 mins. Thats alright though, it takes time to get to know the game.

Heather,

What Conference is that Baptist Church in that you go to??

Originally Posted by joshua

The Easter Bunny comes from a magic cave in the sky. Come on, Scott, everyone knows this.

I thought he came from Easter Island?

Santa Claus was playing in a blues band in a southside Cleveland bar called 'Slicks' and owned by the Tooth Fairy. The Easter Bunny was an A & R guy back then working for Columbia. He happened to be in the bar that night and caught Santa's set. Back then Santa was called Fat Nicky and his combo was known as the Saints.

The Easter Bunny tried to get Nicky to sign but Nicky didn't want to 'sell out to man', he wanted to keep the rights to his music. (Who wouldn't?) The Easter Bunny didn't want to lose Nicky's talent and said, "Well, could you come play at the Dupont Chemical Christmas party." Nicky went and MC'd the night and when the gifts were handed out they asked Nicky to present the gifts. He had such a report with the crowd that he began doing more Christmas parties. Yada, yada, yada, the rest is history.

A few years later there was a very late season Christmas party that Nicky, (now Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus) couldn't make. Remembering his old pal Easter Bunny was the guy who 'brought him to the dance', he called Bunny and asked if he had another band. He did, Bunny's own Western Swing band. Too late to call it a Christmas Party he called it an Easter Party. Needless to say, with Nicky's endorsement Bunny was gold. Easter Bunny married omelet mogul Henny Penny and..... Well, you know the rest.

{Excerpts taken from MTV's, "Behind The Music - Fat Nicky and the Saints"}

Originally Posted by No Longer A Libertine

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail, hippity hoppity usurping Jesus' glory.

We don't do the bunny thing. We wait til right around March 21st and then give the kids "Spring Baskets". They get outdoor toys, spring clothes and candy of course. I don't even like the word Easter so we simply acknowledge that it's Resurrection Sunday when 'easter' comes and the importance of the resurrection to the faith but we don't celebrate it in any way.

No use for the bunny what-so-ever.

Scott Shahan;

I was at Walmart and I see all the Easter stuff, and I was wondering where this idea of the "Easter Bunny" came from? Does anyone on the PB think that it is wrong to get your kids "Easter baskets" and Easter candy, and stuff like that?

I don't buy a bunch of baskets with candy and stuff in them...I buy the candy and put it all in a BIG bowl in the middle of my kitchen table...

My kids enjoy eatting hardboiled eggs, so they boil and color them, however, they do this throughout the year not just during Passover/Resurrection Weekend.

I don't give tell my kids some Bunny brought this stuff either but, then my kids are smart and pay attention to what I buy and bring in the house for them to eat. The only time I hide candy from them is when I buy Gheradelli Chocolates with carmel filling (because if I don't they would eat them ALL). I don't buy those very often so they are 'treats'.

I can remember one year we were in Alabama during Spring break and I'd taken my kids out to lunch, (they were kindergarden and younger) and the place had someone dressed up like a Bunny for kids to get their pictures with, that thing scared my kids...they did not LIKE the Bunny...even now as teens they still don't like the bunny. They don't like clowns either.

Originally Posted by joshua

The Easter Bunny comes from a magic cave in the sky. Come on, Scott, everyone knows this.

Originally Posted by govols

I thought he came from Easter Island?

Ok, Scott, I must concede. I was wrong. Apparently everyone didn't know that the Easter Bunny comes from a magic cave in the sky.

My wife thinks someone should dress up as Elmer Fudd, carrying a shotgun, and go into the mall to visit the Easter Bunny. I'll bet racking a 12 gauge would get him out of his hole. Won't be me, though - I want to keep my guns.

And, FWIW, bunnies come from mother bunnies. Bunnies all the way down, to the sixth day.

Originally Posted by gwine

My wife thinks someone should dress up as Elmer Fudd, carrying a shotgun, and go into the mall to visit the Easter Bunny. I'll bet racking a 12 gauge would get him out of his hole. Won't be me, though - I want to keep my guns.

Oh, THAT would be sweet! Maybe we could have the Easter Bunny and the Christmas Deer.

I've already had bunny meat, but I wonder what reindeer taste like . . .

A BunnyTrail:
http://www.pds-thirdfloor.com/easterbasket.html

Originally Posted by gwine

My wife thinks someone should dress up as Elmer Fudd, carrying a shotgun, and go into the mall to visit the Easter Bunny. I'll bet racking a 12 gauge would get him out of his hole. Won't be me, though - I want to keep my guns.

And, FWIW, bunnies come from mother bunnies. Bunnies all the way down, to the sixth day.

Fudd (like all true hunters )caries a side by side, hence no "racking".

No easter bunnies...but candy does happen throughout the year. Hard boiled eggs are good throughout the year as well. Rabbit makes a good stew...so I've heard.

He comes from a hole in the floor just under the Papal throne. If you squint your eyes, just a little, and quickly look at the picture and then away and then back at it again and then away, and repeat the process a few more times, you can see the bunny coming out from under St. Peter's Throne.

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/citta/CB-Cathedra.jpg


That's pretty good detective work, don't cha think?

Originally Posted by Heather Prentice

The legend of the Easter Bunny is far from a modern invention. Long ago, the rabbit was the earthly symbol of the pagan goddess Eastre, and was worshipped in the pagan festival of Eastre.

While there certainly was an Anglo-Saxon goddess named Eostre who was associated with the month of April, I understand that the claim that she was represented by the rabbit is rather speculative. It appears to be a modern neopagan fable. Rabbits are of course associated with spring and fertility.

Cool pic! I'd like to buy that thing someday and make it into a clock for my den.

Originally Posted by gwine

I've already had bunny meat, but I wonder what reindeer taste like . . .

To my knowledge, excellent. Vinison sausage is almost divine!

Originally Posted by Kevin

Fudd (like all true hunters )caries a side by side, hence no "racking".

Well, you can tell I'm no true hunter. All I've got is my 12 gauge and a .410 I've pre-inherited from my mom. Someone at work asked me to go snow geese hunting recently, but I had to pass. I'm sure I could hit a barn, but anything smaller would be pretty safe from me.