The Origin of the Easter Egg Hunt

💐Happy Easter from all of us here at Atomic World News! 🐣 Easter has been a nationally celebrated cultural holiday commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus since the 2nd century. There are many ways people celebrate the Easter holiday with their families. From grand feasts with fellow church members to Easter parades, to visiting with the Easter bunny, & Easter egg hunts, these customs have become associated with both Christians & non-Christians alike. It has been integrated into a normal part of our society & culture, much like Christmas, with the festive family meals, gift-giving & decorations. Although many people don’t know the origins of Easter, the Easter bunny, or the famous Easter egg hunt. The Easter bunny was introduced in the 1700s from German immigrants that reportedly brought a magical colorful egg-laying rabbit named “Oshter Haws” or “Osterhase.” Much like Santa Claus the bunny would lay the candy eggs in nests for kids that were good, & children would even leave out carrots in case the rabbit was hungry! The decoration of Easter eggs is a symbol of the empty tomb where Jesus was buried then later resurrected. These eggs are usually hidden for children to find, which are typically artificial eggs filled with candies, & chocolates. The egg is also said to be a symbol of rebirth & the celebration of spring. The custom for hunting for the Easter eggs is as if you were hunting for Jesus in the tomb & to your surprise he is no longer there, but instead replaced with a heavenly body that brings joy much like the candies & sweets represented to the children finding them. The origin of this tradition came from Medieval Europe where real eggs were actually buried in the ground to encourage fertility. So they are sometimes referred to as “resurrection eggs.” Although the first Easter eggs were said to be associated with a different religion such as Lent & Jewish Passover. While they fasted they collected their chicken eggs to be given out to the poor that were unable to afford meat during their holiday celebrations. Wherever their true origins may come from Easter eggs and the Easter bunny are a widely celebrated symbol of our history and religious origins.