Wishing all of you a fabulous Easter weekend filled with laughter, delectable sweets and memories to last you a life time. In lieu of my housewife histories this Monday, I have opted for a Easter History lesson that I hope will enrich your celebrations further. From my home to yours, Happy Easter.
Where does the term Easter come from?
The word “Easter” is named after Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. A festival was held in her honor every year in the Spring to celebrate the cycle of life.
Where does the Easter Bunny come from?
The Easter Hare was a symbol of fertility, the term Mad a as a March Hare comes from the idea that in the spring the bunnies are ‘frisky’. The March Hare became a symbol of spring, and as early as the 1600′s edible bunnies were given to children to celebrate the spring festival.
Where do Easter Eggs come from?
Like the March Hare, birds were prolific breeders and captured the essence of spring fertility. The origin of the ancient custom of colouring Easter Eggs is unknown, although it is thought that the blooming of many flowers in spring coincides with the use of the fertility symbol of eggs and that part of the ancient custom was to boil eggs with spring flowers to change their colour and thus bringing the spring into the homes. In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and Persia eggs were dyed for spring festivals. In medieval Europe, beautifully decorated eggs were given as gifts.
Why do we hunt for Easter Eggs?
No one quite knows the origins of the hunt. However several games associated with the Easter Egg have played a part in forming the tradition. Most notably, the European Slavic nations have a tradition of gathering eggs and then whipping them with a pony-tail shaped whip made out of fresh willow branches which is meant to give them grant them good health and fertility.
