The church employed basic psychology
to influence people by promising to keep a part of their beliefs, and
weave them into the Christian rituals, if the pagans would agree to
accept and become part of the church. Thus, the celebration of the resurrection
was given the name 'Easter' to pacify the former worshippers of the
goddess 'Eastre.'
Easter Eggs
It would follow that rabbits, those
lusty fellows known for their reproductive talents, and eggs, from whence
spring life (both symbols of fertility), would also become a part of
the Easter celebration. And, it seems the practice of hiding eggs, and
the Easter Bunny, came from the Germans, popularized by a German children's
book published in the 1600s wherein a bunny laid colored eggs in the
garden for the children to find. The first edible Easter Bunnies of
sugar coated pastry were made by the Germans in the early 1800s.
Eggs have been a symbol of springtime regeneration that has long been associated with Easter. Early Christians used red colored eggs to symbolize the Resurrection. England began the tradition of writing and drawing on eggs, by putting messages and dates on eggs, then exchanging them with friends and loved ones. In the 1800's, with the industrial revolution under way, ornate candied eggs were created. They were open on one end and a scene was put inside. They were used as table centerpieces.
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