How to explain the Easter Bunny?

[Julesnobrain]

All started well in the no brain household. The Bunny obliging hid eggs in the garden for a treasure hunt, Mummy, Daddy and assorted relatives gave ' proper' Easter eggs to celebrate Christ rising from the dead etc etc. but now eldest DC is enquiring the relation of the bunny to whole Easter message.

Oops not sure what to do. I am not really religious, although we are a Christain household in that we celebrate Xmas and Easter. I could just say the Easter Bunny is made up but I am then worried about the next logical question relating to the tooth fairy and more importantly Father Xmas.

Bloody bunny, wish I had never introduced it but it seemed harmless at the time. What do you tell your DC???

we never did the Easter Bunny but do have the tooth fairy and Santa - sorry!

I tell them that a large bunny leaves eggs around the garden first thing in the morning, he also leaves bits of fluffy bunny tail where the eggs are.

They learn about Jesus and the Christian stuff at school, and I explain that that is what some people choose to believe, but there are many beliefs in the world.

I know what you mean - I go into a cold sweat every time DD asks questions about Father Christmas! I would say that Easter is partly about Christianity and partly a general celebration of springtime. The Easter bunny gives out chocolate to celebrate the fact that baby animals are being born etc (with a potential link between birth and resurrection maybe...?)

Tell them about the Roman goddess Eostre, and how her symbols are the egg and the hare. And how it's where we get the word "oestrogen" from. A bit of historical/comparative religion, perhaps? Or am I the only geek in the village

I told my two that the Easter Bunny is a strange American tradition, although I think it is in fact German in origin. We did the tooth fairy halfheartedly and Santa not at all though. We've always done Easter egg hunts as a family tradition, and the children enjoy hiding as much as finding.

There isn't really much of a relation between egg eating and Christian Easter - the eggs come from pre-Christian spring festivals which were then picked up by the early church (as symbols of renewal) plus of feasting after lent.

How old are your children?

Yes, I tell the dcs that Easter is about birth and new life and the arrival of spring, and bunnies and chicks and eggs are part of that.

Oh and chocolate.