Bunnies and bells
Easter
Who brings colored eggs at Easter? It all depends on where you live.
Children in the United States and Canada say the Easter bunny, or
rabbit, brings eggs at Easter. Children in England and Germany say the
hare brings colored eggs at Easter. A hare looks like a rabbit, but it’s
larger, with longer ears and legs. The legend about the hare and colored
Easter eggs began in Germany.
In Italy, Belgium, and France, children say Easter eggs are brought by
the church bells. There, church bells do not ring from Good Friday until
Easter Sunday. Because of this, people say that the bells have flown off
to Rome. As the bells fly back home for Easter, they drop colored eggs
for boys and girls to find.
Where did the custom of coloring Easter eggs come from? No one knows for
sure. The ancient Egyptians dyed colored eggs for their friends. So did
the ancient Chinese, Greeks, and Persians.
Not all Easter eggs are real eggs. Many are made of wood, paper, glass,
and other material. A favorite of children is made of sugar. The large
sugar egg has a peephole. Inside the egg you see a scene like the one
described in the story on page 150.
Children play games with Easter eggs. They roll eggs down a hill to see
how many
The beautiful designs on these Ukrainian Easter eggs were painted by
hand.
These girls, dressed in their colorful Ukrainian costumes, are dyeing
and decorating Easter eggs.
eggs can make it and not crack. A famous Easter Egg Roll is held on the
White House lawn in Washington, D.C.
Rolling Easter eggs is fun, and so is eating them. But there are more
foods than eggs to enjoy on Easter. Lamb is an Easter favorite in many
countries. In Greece, it is served with a jam made of rose petals.
People in Russia eat an Easter bread that is full of plump white raisins
and tastes like cake. In some countries of Eastern Europe, people enjoy
an Easter cake shaped like a skirt. It is called babka, which means
\”little old woman.” Easter cakes in Italy are shaped like a rabbit,
which is a symbol of birth and new life.
In many countries, people bake Easter cookies and cakes shaped like a
lamb. A lamb has long been a symbol of Jesus. Hot cross buns are another
favorite food. These are buns with an icing in the shape of a cross. The
cross is another important Easter symbol.
Next to food, new clothes are important for Easter. This custom may come
from early Christians who wore white robes when received into the Church
at this time.
On Easter Sunday, people often wear new clothes to church. After the
service, they may stroll down the street in their new hats and outfits.
They’re part of what is called an \”Easter parade.”
A real parade is held on Easter in St. Augustine, Florida. It’s called
\”Parade of the Horses and Carriages.” There are men in armor
on horseback, and people in costume in carriages pulled by horses. The
horses wear fancy Easter bonnets. This parade is part of an Easter
Festival that lasts for two weeks.
Easter festivals go back to ancient times. At first, the festivities
celebrated the coming of spring. In northern Europe, the goddess of
spring was Eostre. Some people say that Easter may have gotten its name
from this goddess.
