Easter myth: Legend of the Easter bunny

The Easter Bunny is synonymous with the Easter holidays, but do you know why this humble creature became so closely associated with the day?

The origins of this folklore trace back to late 1600s Germany, where an Easter hare supposedly played judge in determining whether children had behaved or not. How this idea began isn’t fully understood, although the large litters that rabbits birth could have played a part.

These litters became a symbol of new life and could serve as inspiration for the mythical Easter Bunny.

But this raises another question… why would a non-egg-bearing animal such as the rabbit deliver Easter eggs?

Much like the rabbit’s association with new life, eggs were also looked upon as a symbol of fertility, and thus the association between the two came together.

As is the case with many modern myths layers were added to the story later on. By the 19th century the idea of an Easter Bunny decorating and hiding eggs was widespread.