Easter = Rabbits?
When one thinks of Easter, he or she often thinks of cute little chicks and fluffy bunnies and colorful eggs. But there is a lot more to rabbits than just Easter, and there is a lot more to Easter than just bunnies and chicks and eggs.
First of all, lets look at the truth of Easter. If you understand that Easter is all about bunnies and chicks and eggs, you may think that Easter started as a Christian holiday, this too, is false. The original holiday of Easter, was actually pagan. Ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a festival that commemorates their goddess of springtime and offspring. This goddess gave the holiday it's name, for her name was Eastre. The holiday was not altered until missionaries came to spread the religion of Christianity to these Saxons. Missionaries made attempts to convert the Saxon in a clandestine way, because it would have been suicidal for the early Christians to celebrate their holidays and observances in conjunction with already existing holidays, they decided to try to alter pagan feasts into a Christian celebration. It just so happened that the festival of Eastre occurred around the same time of year as the Christian's observance of the Resurrection, or coming back to life, of Jesus. The holiday of Eastre was changed slowly through the years to become a celebration of the resurrection, rather than of the goddess Eastre. The name was eventually changed to Easter. Easter is still celebrated on the former day of Eastre, on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on, or following the spring equinox (which is March 21). Easter can be as early as March 22, or as late as April 25.
So what about the Easter Bunny? The Easter Bunny also comes from the pagan holiday. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by her earthly symbol, the rabbit. There is a tale that Eastre turned a bird into a rabbit, and the bird-now-rabbit was so thankful, he started to lay colorful eggs as a thank you to Eastre.
Since those days, rabbits have become a very popular symbol of Easter. Leading up to the holiday, they appear on TV ads, candy, and all of the stores are filled with bunnies. As you might think, children beg parents for pet rabbits, but a rabbits is not a toy or a stuffed animal, it is a commitment that may live for up to 10 years! Parents are typically unprepared for this new ball of fluff, and they are often one of the millions that flood humane societies and rabbit rescues. Or perhaps they are even more unfortunate, and are one of the thousands set "free" to be eaten, hit by cars, overcome with illness, or injured, almost guaranteeing death.
Contrary to what one may have been led to believe, young children and rabbits are not always a good match. Most young children are rambunctious, and are a poor match for the sensitive nature of a rabbit. Children usually want an animal they can hold, carry, and cuddle. This is one thing that makes stuffed animals so popular with children. Perhaps a stuffed rabbit would be a better choice than a real rabbit who is an animal that feels frightened when held or restrained. The result is usually a loss of interest on the child's part, and a neglected or abandoned rabbit.
Also contrary to popular belief, rabbits are not "low-maintenance" pets, they have a usual lifespan of 10 years, and require about the same amount of work as a dog or cat might. In the case of house rabbits, your home must be "bunny-proofed," and unless spayed or neutered, they will spray and mark your house with urine.
Obviously, there are exceptions to this, and it may be true that you, or someone you know will make an excellent rabbit-owner, and rabbits truly are a wonderful pet to own, but this is not always the case. Although it may seem like a good idea to surprise someone with a pet rabbit at Easter time, it may be a better idea to give supplies, such as a cage, a bag of feed, or some treats as an Easter gift, and allow them to choose their own pet.
