Easter Traditions

by Nikki Lorenzini

Easter Traditions: Bunnies, Candy, and Eggs! Oh My!

The exact origins of the Easter bunny are not very clear, but rabbits are a symbol of fertility and new life. Some sources say that the Easter bunny arrived in America in the 1700’s with German immigrants who settled in PA. Their tradition of egg laying rabbits was called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Children made nests so that the bunnies could come and lay their colored eggs, and this tradition spread across the US. Eventually the tradition expanded to include chocolate and other kinds of candy, and the nests were replaced with decorated baskets.

As well as the bunny, the egg is an ancient symbol of new life and it has been associated with pagan festivals that celebrate spring. The tradition of decorating eggs dates back to at least the 13th century. One reason for decorating eggs comes from a time when people were forbidden food during Lent, so they would paint and decorate eggs to mark the end of the season and then eat them as a celebration on Easter.

After Halloween, Easter is the second largest candy selling holiday. Jelly beans became associated with Easter back in the 1930’s, but they also date back to the Biblical era in a concoction called “Turkish Delights.” Another well known Easter candy is Peeps. They were first sold back in the 1950‘s by the Pennsylvania based company Just Born.

Easter: The celebration of the Resurrection

Easter is the most important and oldest holiday in the Christian religion. Since the 4th century, it has been celebrated on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21, which has Easter fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25. The holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion. Christianity teaches that God sent his one and only son, Jesus, to die for our sins, and his death is the perfect atoning sacrifice for mankind’s sins.

During his three years of preaching, Jesus taught that he was the prophesied son of God. Because of that teaching, the Jewish high priests and the Sanhedrin accused him of blasphemy, which lead to a death sentence through crucifixion. Jesus was found innocent by Pilate, a Roman governor in Judea. Despite Pilot finding Jesus innocent, he feared the crowds and let the chief priests decide Jesus’ fate. With a declaration, “Crucify him!,” history was forever changed. Jesus ended up being scourged, or beaten, with a whip before his crucifixion. The whip was made of leather pieces with tiny pieces of iron and bone chips tied to the end. He was spit on, mocked, and crowned with a crown of thorns.

Carrying his cross after being stripped, he ended up at Golgotha. Nails that were the sizes of stakes were driven through his wrists and ankles, and he was crucified between two convicted criminals. He had an inscription above his head reading, “The King of the Jews.” He hung on the cross for about six hours. During his hanging on the cross, soldiers cast lots for his clothes, insulted, scoffed at, and spoke with his best friend John and his mother Mary. The Roman soldiers usually broke crucified people’s legs to show more mercy by helping them die quicker. Since Jesus had already died, they pierced his side as blood and water flowed from his side. After being buried in a borrowed tomb, Jesus broke the chains of death by rising again, for which we celebrate Easter Sunday, as accounted in Luke 24:

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."