One chilly spring morning in medieval Germany, a child tiptoes into the forest, eyes wide with hope. She’s been good all Lent—no sweets, no mischief. She sets down a little woven basket filled with straw beneath an oak tree and whispers a prayer to the “Osterhase”—a magical hare who, legend says, brings eggs to well-behaved children.
By dawn, the basket holds a bright red egg, warm from the dew. She smiles. The rabbit has come. The world is waking up again.
Today, we unwrap our Easter chocolates and dye eggs in pastel palettes, but behind these fun traditions lies a story that’s thousands of years old. From ancient Persian rituals to Saxon goddesses, Christian martyrs to Victorian parties, here are five fun facts about Easter’s most colourful—and curious—symbols.
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Five fun facts
1. Eggs Were Ancient Symbols of Rebirth Long Before Christianity
Long before the Easter Bunny hid them in your backyard, eggs symbolised rebirth and fertility in many ancient cultures.
In ancient Persia, people exchanged decorated eggs during Nowruz (Persian New Year), marking the spring equinox.
The idea? After the long “death” of winter, the world was being reborn, just like a chick hatching from an egg.
2. The Easter Bunny Has Pagan Roots in a German Goddess
That adorable bunny? He’s ancient—and he’s got a passport from medieval Germany.
The Easter Bunny likely descends from Eostre (or Ēostre), the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility.
Legend says her sacred animal was—you guessed it—a rabbit, because of their legendary… enthusiasm for reproduction.
3. Medieval Christians Dyed Eggs Red to Symbolise Christ’s Blood
During Lent, Christians abstained from eating eggs, so Easter marked the joyful return of the egg to their diets.
They would boil and dye them red, a vivid symbol of the blood of Christ and His resurrection.
Some Orthodox churches still practice this today.
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4. The First “Easter Bunny” Was More of a Judge Than a Candy Dealer
In 17th-century Germany, children were told that the “Osterhase” (Easter Hare) would judge them.
Good kids got coloured eggs in nests; bad ones got… nothing. Sound familiar? Santa might’ve copied a bit.
5. Egg Rolling Was Once a Royal Sport
The tradition of egg rolling, especially popular in the U.S. and U.K., may have ancient ties to ritual games celebrating the sun.
In the Christian context, it came to symbolise rolling away the stone from Jesus’ tomb.
The White House Easter Egg Roll began in 1878 under President Rutherford B. Hayes—and it’s still a big deal today!
