Alexandria Wyckoff
Easter is all about finding eggs, getting pictures with the Easter bunny, painting eggs, and sweet treats. Also, a huge holiday for Christians, as it’s the celebration of Jesus being resurrected from the dead, you may not know everything about the Spring holiday. From the origin of the name “Easter” to where painting eggs came from, check out these six fun facts about Easter.
6. The UK’s first chocolate egg was made in 1873
Starting our list of fun facts about Easter is when the first chocolate egg was produced. While the oblong-shaped chocolates are a staple of the holiday today, their origins trace all the way back to the 19th century. The Fry family of Bristol ran the world’s largest chocolate factory and produced the first chocolate egg in 1873. Two years later, Cadbury came out with their first Easter egg, and the rest was history.
5. Easter was once banned
Fifth on our list of fun facts about Easter is that Easter was once banned for a time. In the late Middle Ages, Easter was a huge holiday for Christians. Though in England, many of these ceremonies were targeted by Protestant religious reformers during the Reformation. When the Puritans took power in the mid-17th century, they abolished Easter and all other Holy Days. It wasn’t until 1660, when Charles II was restored to the throne, that Easter festivities returned.
4. Easter’s date changes every year
Next on our list of fun facts about Easter is why the date for Easter Sunday changes every year. This is because the date is calculated using the lunar calendar. Today, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that takes place on or after March 21st, or the Spring Equinox. There was a lot of contention for the date between the 4th and mid 7th centuries, with different Christian traditions declaring different dates. The matter was settled in 664 at the Synod of Whitby between leading clergy and nobles to use the Roman method to determine Easter.
3. The holiday is named after Eostre
Rounding out the top three fun facts about Easter is how Easter got its name. According to scholars and historians, the Christian holiday was named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess, Eostre, who was a Fertility Goddess and a Goddess of Dawn and Light. Eostre was honored at Pagan festivals to represent the arrival of spring, blending Pagan traditions with Christian holidays.
2. Painting eggs comes from a Ukrainian tradition
Second on our list of fun facts about Easter is the origin of decorating and painting eggs. The tradition actually began in Ukraine. For numerous generations, Ukrainians have been decorating eggs as a tribute to the Gods and Goddesses of health and fertility. Also known as pysanka, the traditional act uses wax and dyes. The tradition of painting eggs, though, didn’t blow up until Ukrainian immigrants came to the United States.
1. The Easter bunny legend began in Germany
Last but not least on our list of fun facts about Easter is the origin story of the Easter bunny. While a rabbit bringing eggs to children doesn’t make that much sense, there is a reason behind the tradition. Similar to Santa Claus and Christmas, there is no Christian connection for the Easter bunny to Easter. Its origins date back hundreds of years, starting in Germany, as the hare was the symbol of the Pagan Goddess of Spring and Fertility. As Christianity blended with Pagan traditions, it turned into the Easter bunny giving a nest of colorful eggs for children who were well-behaved.