Hopping through history: How Easter eggs and bunnies began
Discover the surprising story behind Easter’s favourite bunny and treats.
Many South Africans enjoy the Easter long weekend, which runs this year from Friday, April 3, to Monday, April 6, with families either going away on holiday or staying at home to relax.
But what is Easter really about? According to HISTORY (2026), “Easter is a very significant date on the Christian calendar and a Christian holiday that celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
So where do the Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny come in?
Although the Bible does not mention a mammal, specifically a bunny, delivering chocolate eggs and sweets to children, the bunny has nonetheless become a well-known symbol of the Easter holiday (HISTORY, 2026). HISTORY (2026) explains that “according to some sources, the Easter Bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. They brought with them a tradition of an egg-laying hare called ‘Osterhase’ or ‘Oschter Haws’. Their children made nests for this creature to lay its colored eggs. Over time, the custom spread across the United States, and the rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries grew to include chocolate, candy, and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests.”
As for the eggs themselves, HISTORY (2026) notes that “there are many Easter-time traditions with roots in non-Christian, pagan, or non-religious celebrations,” and that “egg decorating may have become part of the Easter celebration as a nod to the religious significance of Easter, i.e., Jesus’ resurrection or re-birth.”
Click here https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-easter for a more in-depth explanation of Easter.
Did you know? The largest Easter egg to date is nearly 8 metres tall and weighs a staggering 3.6 tons. “It was built out of chocolate and marshmallow and supported by an internal steel frame” (HISTORY, 2026).
• Source: HISTORY. 2026. Easter 2026, 10 March 2026. [Online]. Available at: https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-easter [Accessed 30 March 2026].
