Easter

This is the time of year we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Sadly like his birth this celebration has been turned into something else as well. Why bunnies though? I’ve never understood the correlation between Easter and bunnies. So this year I decided to do some digging what I found was somewhat humorous. In the medieval church the hare was a popular motif. It was widely believed to be a hermaphrodite and the idea that a hare could reproduce without loss of virginity led to an association with the Virgin Mary. Now I usually think traditions are fun (I do very much enjoy the Santa Clause narrative) but this just seems a little ridiculous. The hare started to take very prominent places in the ancient church appearing as three hares to represent the holy trinity, or alone with the Virgin Mary or Christ Child. As to where this thought that hares could produce without losing their virginity came from, no one really knows. Maybe it comes from the fact that rabbits (or hares) always seem to be having babies. To say that the whole Easter bunny thing is absurd is putting it mildly. Now knowing more about the origins of the “Easter Bunny” I’ll be chuckling to myself every time I see one from now on. So what about the egg? Well this one makes a little more sense to me. Eggs are symbols of fertility. Since birds lay eggs, and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the “Vernal Equinox” (or spring equinox). In fact Rabbits are so prolific of breeders that they can conceive a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first. So it seems no surprise that the mating antics of rabbits and hares have made it into our folklore. So what about decorating eggs? Well it seems that many Christians (especially of the Eastern Orthodox Church) started by dying their eggs red, and green. Red to symbolize the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and the renewal of life in the spring time. Green in honor of the foliage emerging after the long dead time of winter. Now there is a tradition I should probably get behind, although to be fair decorating eggs was traditionally my least favorite part of Easter. Perhaps this year when we decorate eggs, talk of bunnies, and enjoy the spring, we will have higher thoughts. I am not advocating for the denouncing of the bunny, or the egg or anything of the sort. I believe heartily in having fun, and those things for kids are sure a lot of fun. However as we mature, let us also mature spiritually. As this season is upon us take time to think of Christ to think about his sacrifice and to contemplate the resurrection. Read about it out of the scriptures. Pick up a book on Christ and make your spring time activities mirror the earth in that that they bring forth bright lively spiritual growth.