Easter Bunny made of tree slices - but why Bunny?
- Written by Portal Editor
Depending on the region, customs sometimes show strange development, including Easter. Is it at least a memorable endeavour to put the focus of the delicacies on eggs during Easter, regardless of whether the boiled and brightly painted chicken egg or the chocolate egg, regardless of whether with or without filling?
The "Easter Bunny" itself! What does the rabbit as an animal has to do with Easter? And eggs, well, they're more belonging to bird animals, maybe turtle or crocodile, right? That children then like to look for the treats on Easter Sunday in the home garden or in the forest, much more understandable.
After some research, it turns out that the Easter bunny has just recently been able to be integrated into the popular culture of Easter, why ever? In some parts of Switzerland, for example in Emmental, the cuckoo was the egg supplier - better still the present supplier – beginning from 19th century.
In parts of Westphalia it was the Easter fox, in Thuringia the stork and in Bohemia the rooster even brought the eggs for Easter. There was a widespread notion that the church bells that fly to Rome on Maundy Thursday take the Easter eggs with them when they return from there. As far as is known to this day, the Easter bunny is mentioned for the first time in the doctoral thesis of the Frankfurt doctor Johannes Richier, who did his doctorate with the prestigious Heidelberg medical professor Georg Franck von Franckenau in 1682 with the treatise "De ovis paschalibus - von Oster-Eyern".
The son of pastor Jean Richier, who fled France for religious reasons, describes a custom for Upper Germany, Palatinate, Alsace and neighbouring areas, as well as Westphalia, according to which an Easter bunny lays the eggs (ova excludere) and hides in gardens in the grass, bushes, etc., where they were eagerly sought by children with laughter and for the pleasure of adults (cum risu et iucunditate seniorum).
Anyway. The children have fun, so parents and grandparents are happy too. And at the latest now it doesn't matter who was the supplier of the Easter surprises. Enjoy searching, even at these days.
Please read as well:
Meefischli - a Main-Franconian speciality during Easter
Honey gingerbread - even if Christmas is not at stake