Easter in America
Easter arrived on American shores with the first German immigrants in the 17 th century. They brought the Easter hare to this country and from the Pennsylvania Dutch it has spread like, well, rabbits. Every Bunny was Kung Fu fighting. Sorry, I couldn't help it. The word Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient German goddess of Spring. Legend says the rabbit was associated with her and it does appear in stories from ancient times. The rabbit somehow got itself associated with the Virgin Mary, a cross pollination of Christianity and pagan rites is very common throughout history, and often you will see paintings of the Virgin and Child with a rabbit tucked in somewhere. Hats in Easter Egg colors! But a rabbit and eggs? Eggs would have most likely the easiest food to consume in breaking a Lenten fast. They could be boiled ahead of time and ready to gobble up. They also represent spring and fertility and new beginnings. The Germans discovered that if ...