"As Christians probably already know, the Bible makes no mention of a mythical hare that produces eggs for children on the day of Jesus Christ's resurrection.
Q: So, why exactly has a rabbit become a prominent part of one of
Christianity's most important celebrations of rebirth and renewal? One theory is that the symbol of the rabbit stems from the ancient pagan tradition on which many of our Easter traditions are based — the festival of Eostre, which honored the goddess of fertility and spring. The goddess's animal symbol was a rabbit, which has long been associated with fertility due to its high reproductive rate.
As for how the character of the Easter Bunny made its way to America, History.com reports that it was first introduced in the 1700s by German immigrants to Pennsylvania, who reportedly brought over their tradition of an egg-laying hare named "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws" from the Old Country. Legend has it that the rabbit would lay colorful eggs as gifts to children who were good, so kids would make nests in which the bunny could leave his eggs and even sometimes set out carrots in case the hare got hungry.
According to History.com, the tradition of decorating eggs for Easter may date back to the 13th century, when eggs were traditionally considered a forbidden food during the Lent season. That's why people decorated them as the fasting period came to an end, making them an even more celebratory way to feast on Easter Sunday." GoodHouseKeeping
