Easter is a religious holiday second only to Christmas which commemorates the ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven. Christians around the world have celebrated it for centuries. Colored eggs and bunnies have come to be associated with this holiday and many people wonder why. It can be hard figuring out how the Easter bunny and eggs celebrate the ascension of Christ.
To learn how this relationship came about, you have to travel way back in time. Many religions have long celebrated during the spring since it's the time when life starts to reappear. During this time, crops start growing and baby animals are born. Even the ancients recognized the coming of spring and the renewal of life with pagan rites. The Saxon culture worshipped a fertility goddess by the name of Eastre and gave her her own festival. Rabbits figured prominently in the celebration, because they are notoriously fertile and a perfect symbol of the desire for new life.
During the 2nd century A.D., Christian missionaries travelled trying to convert the pagan people to their religion. These missionaries adapted certain festivals and customs into Christian holidays in order to attract pagans to their religion. Since the resurrection of Christ and the celebration of Eastre occured during the same time, the two were combined and the sacred rabbit was included.
Eastre was changed to Easter over the years. The rabbit and the lamb came to symbolize innocent creatures that were sacrificed to commemorate the sacrifice Christ made for man.
You would have to go back to the 1500s in Germany to find the origins of the Easter bunny as we know it today. Children believed that they would receive a basket full of colored eggs from a magical rabbit if they were good during this time. Pennsylvannia Dutch immigrants brought this custom to America in the 1700s.
People have considered eggs to be a sign of rebirth since the earliest years A.D.. In the 600s, the then-Pope Gregory the Great put a ban on eating eggs during the period of Lent which is the 40 days immediately preceding Easter. Therefore, when Easter arrived and people could eat eggs again, they considered them a special treat. Although some of the tradition has been cut out from modern society, we still make use of decorated eggs for the occasion. Doc No.azlcssaeh-sdgfhkl
Kristie Brown writes on a variety of topics from health to technology. Check out her websites on Hair loss treatments for women and Used tanning beds for sale
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