In the latest newsletter, I addressed this question and presented a few chocolatey or sweet alternatives to the Easter bunny. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. We send it out about 10 times a year, so don’t worry about spam! And yes, there are now low-fructose, low-histamine and lactose-free alternatives.
How did we come to eat chocolate Easter bunnies in the first place? This question was neglected in the newsletter, so I decided to write a blog about it.
Why is the Easter bunny our Easter symbol?
It is often said that a supposed Germanic goddess of spring called Ostara gave Easter its name. But this is controversial among experts. Less controversial is the fact that the hare is a fertile animal and gives birth to its first young in spring, around Easter. And in spring, after the barren time of winter, fertility rituals and festivals are very popular. Because nature is awakening again, the round dance of sowing, tending, harvesting and eating begins anew. In many pre-medieval and early medieval cultures, the hare was also a symbol of Jesus Christ. And Christians celebrate his resurrection at Easter.
So we don’t know exactly. But there are many indications that link the hare as a symbol with spring, awakening and the Christian Easter festival.
Why are there chocolate Easter bunnies?
This question cannot be answered definitively, but there is much better evidence. Especially because these sweet gifts were only created in the middle of the 19th century. Incidentally, the Easter bunny bringing eggs is also relatively new.
The invention of the Easter bunny
It was not until the second half of the 17th century that the urban Protestant bourgeoisie in Germany began this tradition. The Easter bunny as we know it today is therefore a Germa…