A few years ago, I asked my class if they could tell me why in the world the Easter bunny brought eggs for the children on Easter. I was teaching 6th graders at the time and we were beginning a new Reading unit on Symbolism. I had started the lesson with pictures that were symbolic of various things that I knew they would be familiar with. I showed a picture of the cross, they said Jesus or church. I showed a picture of a heart, they said Love. A picture of the Golden Arches, they said McDonald’s. A picture of a bunny a plus sign and an egg and they knew it meant Easter. Everything started off great until I asked them why. Why did these two completely different things mean Easter. I mean, have you ever seen a bunny lay an egg? Have you ever seen a bunny hatch from an egg? They have nothing to do with each other, right?
There are sometimes issues in the Christian arena concerning the use of a bunny being used to correspond with Easter, but being the symbolic nerd that I am, I love it. I like discussing it with anyone so that they can make sense of why some traditions use what they use in their traditions or why things represent whatever it is they are representing.
A QUICK BREAKDOWN of Symbolism used in Easter
For those of you unaware, rabbits have a lot of babies. Babies represent new life. Spring represents new life. Eggs hatch and bring forth baby animals. Therefore, eggs equal new life. Flowers are blooming, trees are getting new leaves, and baby animals begin to be seen. It’s like the world is being REBORN. Let’s not forget about the True Life being REBORN…Someone coming back from the dead, is like being REBORN. Thank the Lord for the Cross and your RESURRECTING Power. You came back to life with all power over Life and Death in your hands! Amen!
(John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in him should not parish, but have everlasting life.)
Kat's Eye View 