Easter rooted in traditions
Today's animal symbols evolved from pagan beginnings

Like many young children, I believed in the Easter Bunny.
But how did a rabbit, of all things, come to be used as a symbol of Easter, the most important Christian holiday of the year? Like many other animals associated with religious holidays, the origin of the Easter Bunny has its roots in ancient religions.
The hare, or rabbit, was once associated with Eostre, the pagan goddess of spring who, according to legend, had the head of a rabbit. The word "Easter" is derived from her name. Christian missionaries seeking to convert the tribes of northern Europe realized that the time of the crucifixion of Jesus coincided with the pagan springtime celebration of Eostre, which emphasized the triumph of life over death.
In 325 AD, the Roman emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicea, which decided that Easter would fall on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 21, the vernal equinox. Because of these early associations, hare hunting was once a common Easter activity in England, and even today the Easter Bunny delivers eggs to children on Easter morning.
As children, we were told that the Easter Bunny hides eggs for children to hunt. But how did eggs and hunting for them become part of our Easter traditions?
In many ancient cultures, the egg was a symbol of birth and fertility. The ancient Egyptians and the Persians colored eggs to give as gifts during their spring festivals. And in ancient Europe, eggs of different colors were taken from the nests of various birds and given as gifts. The search through the woods for eggs gradually evolved into the Easter egg hunt, with painted eggs replacing wild birds' eggs. The Easter basket used to collect the eggs was probably originally intended to resemble a bird's nest.
The symbol of the Easter lamb also has its beginning in ancient religions. The first lambs of spring announce the annual victory of spring over winter and, therefore, life over death. The lamb's youth and white coat make it a symbol of innocence, purity and gentleness, providing an ideal sacrifice to ancient gods. The faithful believed that the purity of the sacrificial lamb would atone for the sins of the giver.
As the Christian church began to absorb many of the symbols of pagan and other religions the lamb was an ideal symbol to represent Christ. In Exodus 12, the Passover lamb was to be a "male without defect," which is the same description given to Jesus. In John 1:29, John the Baptist described Jesus as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Because of these associations, roast lamb has become a traditional Easter entree. Pastries, candies and butter molds in the shape of lambs often are part of the Easter feast.
The rooster is also associated with Easter. The rooster reminds us of Peter's denial of Christ on the morning of his crucifixion. The New Testament says that three times that day before the rooster crowed, Peter denied knowing Jesus, just as Jesus predicted at the Last Supper. On a more positive note, the rooster announces the arrival of a new dawn signifying vigilance and resurrection.
Have you ever wondered how the rooster ended up on top of a house as a weathervane? During the Middle Ages the rooster became a popular Christian image on weathervanes, also known as weathercocks. Its crowing made it an emblem of the Christian's attitude of watchfulness and readiness for the sudden return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment of humankind.
While not generally associated with Easter, mention should go to the lowly robin red breast. How did the robin become a symbol of spring and rebirth? One old story says that the robin was originally a drab looking bird of no color that was awarded with his red breast during Jesus' walk to his crucifixion. When the bird saw that a thorn had pierced the forehead of Christ, he flew down and plucked out the thorn. In this act of compassion, a drop of Christ's blood fell on the little bird's breast, staining it red forever. Because of the robin's faithfulness to Christ, the story says, he would forever be a symbol of spring, hence new life.
At the beginning of this article, I confessed that as a child I believed in the Easter Bunny. How I learned the truth about this mythical rabbit is a sad story. One Easter morning when I was about 7 or 8 years old, I awoke early to check out our back yard where we held our annual Easter egg hunts. I sneaked out to discover a horrifying scene. My dog, Rebel, had managed to catch a rabbit. Lying around the dog were the remaining bits and pieces of the unlucky bunny. All I could think was that my dog had killed the Easter Bunny!
My cries soon brought my mother to my side. When I pointed out what I had found, she told me the truth about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Learning the truth about them in one day was tough news for a kid to hear.
Have a happy and blessed Easter.