So I was thinking these past few weeks about Easter… reading through the narratives in the Bible and what Jesus has done for us. But I also got thinking about our modern Easter celebrations and I don’t think I’ve ever really asked “Where did the Easter Bunny come from?” So I did some hunting (pun intended).
Here’s what I found. The 
name, the bunny, the candies are all ancient practices with dark roots. In the middle ages many pagan cultures celebrated the spring equinox with a festival. Like us, many of the Anglo-Saxon cultures in Northern Europe were coming out of winter and looked for a time to celebrate the coming seasons. As part of this they would worship the pagan goddess “Eastre” who was the mother goddess of fertility. There is good evidence that this same type of goddess, with a similar name, has been worshipped long before Christ in ancient Babylon. Her spiritual symbol has been linked to the moon, with moon being viewed as a mother in many cultures. But Eastre’s earthly symbol was the rabbit. Rabbits are known to be the most fertile animals known to people and symbolized new life in spring.
It is believed that in Northern Europe (in and around Germany), that Christians attempted to engage the culture they lived in by modifiying the practice of the springtime festival (or “Easter”) rather than doing away with it altogether. Some would argue this was a good thing, and others would say it was an ill attempt. Whatever your belief there are a few things that we can be sure of. Over the years as the tradition travelled with German people to America where practices have changed, others added, and some remained.
There was no longer the focus on worshipping a pagan goddess, and for many it was either a celebration of the resurrection of Christ or a simple and fun recognition that spring was beginning. Candies, chocolates, eggs (another symbol of life), pastry/chocolate/candy bunnies and parties began to be linked to the celebration following the semi-German tradition.
I could go into a whole lot more history, but I won’t. For me as a follower of Jesus It begs the question – “What do I do about Easter?” The name is clearly pagan, and our modern focus has nothing to do with the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But before we throw the baby out with the bathwater and I tell my family there won’t be any chocolate this year we should take another look. Is it really so bad to celebrate spring, and new life? Isn’t that really why Jesus died and rose again? He didn’t die so we could live a miserable existence fighting against society – He died that I might experience new life found in Him. Sometimes that life demands we live it, and act like we have life – so we celebrate and have fun. So when I see a bunny – I think Jesus. When I hear the word Easter – I think Jesus. When I colour eggs (taking what is ordinary and making it something extraordinary) – I think Jesus.
Thomas, known as the doubting apostle, was speaking to Jesus once about his doubt and uncertainty of Jesus plans for his (our) lives and here’s how Jesus answered him. “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NLT)
So in all our doubts about our belief, springtime, non-Christian practices (modern and ancient), and life direction let’s remember that it’s spring. It might not look like it, but the snow is melting. Spring is God’s way of reminding us of new life found in His Son, and so is Easter – not just Good Friday services, but the bunnies and eggs too because ultimately we all need a reminder about new life, and Jesus is life.