The "Mad" History of the Easter Bunny

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The Easter Bunny began as a tribute to Eostre, the ancient Germanic goddess of spring, whose sacred animal was the fertility-symbolising hare. This connection was fuelled by the "mad" behaviour of spring hares, which famously "box" each other during mating season. Because hares nest in shallow ground-level divots, children often found bird eggs in the same spots and mistakenly assumed the hares had laid them, cementing the strange link between mammals and eggs.

By the 1600s, German folklore transformed the hare into the Osterhase, a judge-like figure who delivered coloured eggs to well-behaved children who built "nests" in their caps. This tradition travelled to America with German immigrants in the 1700s, eventually evolving into the modern Easter Bunny. In the 1800s, French and German chocolatiers replaced real eggs with chocolate versions, turning an ancient fertility symbol into the sugar-coated holiday mascot we recognize today.

Hop along to Reeman Dansie to view lot 109, a charming Meissen Rabbit (or hare, the jury is still out..) coming up for sale in our East Anglian, Antiques & Fine Art Sale 8th-9th April 2026, estimate £2000-3000.

East Anglian, Antiques & Fine Art

Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th April | 10am

auctions@reemandansie.com | 01206 754754

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