What came first: The Hare or the Egg?

Many of us know what Easter is to the modern day. For the modern generations and even a few of the older ones, Easter is chocolates, Marshmallow Peeps, pastel coloured things, Colouring eggs, and then hiding them and going on hunts. A day for family to gather at events and watch their children take off wearing bunny ears and nice clothing. 

For some who are religious Good Friday and Easter sunday are representations of the crucifixion and the rising of Jesus Christ, the ending of Lent, and other such religious things. A day for worship and food, and church. 

So what was Easter BEFORE the Christian faith? What did it mean to people before it was said that Jesus walked the earth and died for a universe of peoples sins? It is sad when the world has mostly forgotten the Origins in which our global holidays derived. The account of which I am telling is just one of many origins, and not the only one. 

Some of us go through our lives wondering how the Easter bunny lay the Egg, how the legend came to be. The legend of which there are hardly any details of which, but commercialized in our consumer society heavily. Some of us dont care. but for those of you who are wondering... here it is: 


Spring. The time of renewal. The respite in the world between obscene heat and obnoxious cold. Winter has ended and summer has yet to begin. In modern days it is end of the fasting season because in historical tie the food storages were dwindling and the new food was not yet grown and ready. 

Surprisingly enough it was a combination of the Pagan and Christian religions that created the long standing tradition of colouring eggs in which a rabbit hides for the children to find. As mentioned before, Christians mark this day as the resurrection of Jesus after his death on the cross. For Pagans it was something a little different. 

In Germany long ago people worshipped a diety known as Eostra. During the same time every year, Pagan's would offer their devotion to her in the season between Summer and Winter, for she was the Goddess of renewal and fertility. Spring is often the mating season, the time for young to be born in the wilderness, for the rebirth of plants to gain new foliage. Eostra was often symbolized with the Hare - which is speculated it was due to the little rodents high reproductive rate. The full moon and the Egg were also used to symbolize the spring time Goddess. 

As Catholicism took over, Eostra gave her name to the festival day - and became known as Easter. The eggs, and rabbits were still celebrated as well as traditions throughout time from the cause of these merging beliefs. In the early 1700's, Germanic immigrants to the USA told the tale of the rabbit laying the egg. Once this story spread in the US, people began making nests in celebration, which soon mutated into Easter baskets. From there the baskets became decorated, and treats began to fill up these once-upon-a-time nests. 


In old Druidic religion, these symbols are once again enforced with Alban Eilir - the Spring Equinox. Alban Eilir means "Light of the Earth," and while the earth begins to thaw and warm life begins to grow anew. Druids see life in all living things, even in rocks and stones and rivers and springs. Plants and trees, everything is sacred to them. In their beliefs the spring Equinox, Alban Eilir the Egg is a life giving force- and the egg is protected by the hare. The Hare is also a symbol of Alban Eilir - so it all coincides. 

All over the world the hare is associated with the moon. There are many different stories of the hair in so many different cultures. These are just but small examples. In Greece, Indonesia, Egypt, China, India and Germany and many more countries there are old folklore on the Hare, and how it become associated so closely with Spring and Easter. 

So this year while you're celebrating Easter, reflect on what Easter truly means for you. Whether you are Christian, or Pagan, or Wiccan or Buddhist, why do YOU celebrate the easter Hare and the Egg? Does it mean something to you? Does being educated about a holiday make it mean something more? 

Either way, we wish you all a wonderful Easter, Alban Eilir, and Spring Time Celebration.