Why do we eat chocolate eggs at Easter and where did the Easter Bunny come from?
Easter is a Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but many of the traditions we associate with the holiday have pagan roots
Why do we eat chocolate eggs at Easter? The tradition of munching on chocolate eggs to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ might seem a bit strange, but it actually comes from an old custom.
The Bible tells us that God's son was put on a cross on what we now call Good Friday, and then came back to life on Easter Sunday. This annual event is celebrated by Christians all over the world and is thought to have started in the second century.
It's important to note that stories about coming back to life in the springtime have been around for a long time before Christianity - like the story of goddess Inanna who went to the underworld to find her dead husband and was killed but then brought back to life.
READ MORE: Quiz: Can you recognise these Easter eggs without the wrappers or boxes?
Legend says she was allowed to return to the normal world as the sun for six months and then had to go back to the underworld during the winter for another six months.
Other stories about coming back to life and symbols of spring include the Egyptian god Horus and the Greek God Dionysus, reports the Mirror.
But how did all this lead to us loving chocolate eggs so much, and where did the Easter Bunny come from?
Why do we eat chocolate eggs at Easter?
Many people in Ireland who aren't religious still celebrate Easter. They use the bank holidays and school breaks to spend time with family and friends.
Some people think that Easter has become a bit too much about making money, especially for companies that make sweets.
But the tradition of Easter isn't just a capitalist-born idea. It actually started a long time ago in the medieval period.
Back then, people weren't allowed to eat eggs during Lent. According to English Heritage, eggs (the kind from chickens, not made of chocolate) were given to the church on Good Friday.
People also gave eggs, which were quite expensive back then, to the lord of the manor.
Lots of these eggs were painted with beautiful designs and dyed bright colours. There were also lots of stories about them.
For example, some people thought that if an egg had two yolks, it meant you would be rich in the future. Others believed that eating eggs at Easter could help you have babies and stop you from dying suddenly.
This tradition slowly changed into the idea of chocolate eggs. The first company to make them was Fry's in 1873.
Cadbury started making them just two years later. Now, people in the Ireland buy around 20 million Easter eggs every year.
Where did the Easter Bunny come from?
Just like Santa Claus at Christmas, the Easter Bunny doesn't really have anything to do with the Christian meaning of Easter. But there's a lot of confusion about where the idea of the Easter Bunny comes from.
Actually, it's supposed to be a hare, not a rabbit.
Many historians believe the Easter Hare came from Germany and is cited in a 1572 text that reads: "Don't worry if the Easter Bunny escapes you. Should we miss his eggs, we will cook the nest."
Embed in folklore, this animal is believed to have entered Pennsylvania Dutch communities in the US around 1757 and is used as the front covers of magazines during Easter from 1899.
The Scientific American states the hare has long been associated with Mary for centuries. "Their association with virgin birth comes from the fact that hares often conflated mistakenly with rabbits are able to produce a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first," the publication states.
From here, the Easter Bunny has been enmeshed with Easter celebrations, often in the form of cupcakes and other sweet treats, like the iconic Lindt Bunny.
Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the latest news direct to your inbox
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
