Where Did the Easter Bunny Come From? Germany!

Take a break from the Cadbury Cream Eggs and study up on a little Easter trivia. Namely: Why is there an Easter Bunny? And why does said bunny hide eggs? The San Jose Mercury News takes a look at the furry creature's fuzzy origins. Some say he hopped on to the scene in 13th-century Germany, where Eostre, the goddess of spring and the dawn, was celebrated—and depicted as a beautiful maiden toting a basket of eggs (dyed red) and two baby hares.


Others says the idea of giving out eggs in springtime has even more ancient origins—among the Persians—while bunnies appeared in Celtic lore. Regardless, there's a good chance the bunny's roots are cloaked in pagan fertility rituals. He likely first came on to the US scene in the 1700s, imported by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania Dutch country. He officially reached star status in 1878, when, under the eye of Rutherford B. Hayes, the first White House Easter Egg Roll took place.

HAPPY EASTER from OUTview!