- Written by Sona Sharma
Did we ever think that an event which occurred almost two thousand years ago would change our world permanently? Yes, it’s Easter!
Just like Santa Claus who makes our December memorable, April is flooded with chocolates, cookies and candies and love by the Easter Bunny. The old wife’s tales about our favourite Easter Rabbit played a major role in teaching the young kids about discipline and a healthy way of living our lives. The Legendary Creature is sometimes portrayed wearing clothes, carrying a basket with candies and toys and spreading happiness in children’s lives.
It is believed that the magical bunny sneaks into the room of children and leaves behind baskets filled with eggs, toys and what not?
Now, there is a lot of history revolving around the mystical rabbit associated with Christianity, even though there hasn’t been any record of the rabbit in the Bible, it eventually became a very significant part of the religion.
One of the theories behind the incredible celebration comes from the German immigrants took the tradition to the lands of United States and by the end of 19th century, we could see people being used to celebrating and selling candies shaped like rabbits. According to this theory, it’s just an old fable for the people but we can always thank the Germans for giving us wonderful memories of searching colourful eggs in our backyard with our loved ones.
Another reason for people to believe in this custom was the linkage drawn between the loss of virginity and Virgin Mary and therefore with no time, they were shown in paintings, illustrations and other forms of Art related to Virgin Mary.
Not just this, the bunny is also said to be a symbolic element of new life since its Easter is held April and rabbits are prolific breeders.
An interesting fact about Easter Day is that not all countries follow the tradition of symbolizing Easter Bunny’s eggs. These may have been influenced by their Geographical locations and natural environment. Few countries in the world have chosen to celebrate it a bit differently like in Australia; Easter is celebrated by a Bilby for a simple fact that rabbits are considered to be pests because they destroy lands and Bilby are an endangered animal and need protection.
Eggs are also a part of this big celebration; the tradition of decorating and painting eggs has kept the children quite busy on a special day. The custom dates back during the time of Jesus when the eggs were stained in the blood of Christ during his crucifixion. It is believed that the Easter eggs are associated with the tomb of Jesus and to contain a new life enclosed in the shell.
The dyeing of the eggs can be through natural substances such as beet juice, onions or can be done with artificial colourings. Some of the countries like Georgia, Bulgaria, Greece and Lebanon use chicken eggs to adorn the houses.
With the tradition of Eggs, there comes the great game of egg hunting. Decorated eggs are hidden in the houses for the children to come and find when the hunt ends there may be some prizes given to the person who found the largest or the smallest eggs!
Decorating eggs may be considered as an archaic trend but there are far crazier things that people are now doing like in Germany which follows the Eastern tradition, people place eggs on the floor and dance around them which is another kind of game that is loved by everyone. Easter eggs can be really costly, as expensive as $10,000 but they are worth it if they are covered with gold flowers!
The time-honoured activity has become a global entertainment with millions of people participating in the biggest events. You might want to attend the Coconut Creek’s Extravaganza Egg Hunt in Florida once in your lifetime with at least 60,000 eggs are hidden for you to find them or what about the Egg hunt celebrated just an hour away from the city of Paris in the Castle’s garden?
Easter or Good Friday as we call it is not just a day to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, it’s also a day to signify good over evil and how death brings new life. It’s a day to be grateful for your friends and family and lighten the world with candles and most important Love.
That day people perform community services, fasting, decorating their houses to be thankful for their lives.
It’s a day to spend time with the people who are always there for you and to celebrate life keeping in mind that it is a blessing. So, we are wrong if we think Easter is just about celebrating your past but it’s also about being hopeful towards a better future.
Read more of our blogs on Khwaeesh!
