In honor of Easter this weekend, this week's post will explore that mammalian reproductive enigma that confuses children across America every spring: the egg-laying Easter Bunny! The origins of this tale (get it? get it?) of an egg-laying mammal are a little fuzzy (double pun! Oh, how I crack myself up!).
The story most likely comes from a German folktale that was introduced to American audiences by immigrants in the 18th century. The German folktale of the "Oschter Haws," a hare that laid nests of brightly colored eggs in children's hats and bonnets every spring, itself has pretty murky origins. The Grimm brothers made a feeble attempt to give the story a little historical credibility by attempting to link it to pre-Christianity pagan myths, but even this was a stretch. Odds are, the story is an amalgamation of historical fertility symbols with new Christian traditions. And, as we are constantly reminded by advertisers every spring, rabbits and Easter are forever intertwined.
