Why do Catholics have a rabbit as a symbol of Easter. Why does the hare bring eggs for Easter. Beliefs about colorful eggs

I showed pictures with hares. In the comments, they began to ask why hares became a symbol of Easter in general. After all, we are talking about the Feast of the Resurrection. Frankly, even in my Soviet childhood I knew that a certain bunny brings gifts. Only now I don’t remember if Easter was discussed, because, of course, we didn’t celebrate it in the church. Therefore, I apparently assumed that in Russia you can’t surprise anyone with hares at Easter. But since you asked, here's an extra piece of sheep from the same store, which also serve as a symbol of Easter.

I will try to explain where the custom of decorating with hares, lambs and eggs grows legs. In order not to walk in circles for a long time, I will say that Easter sheep and hares in the modern world are the same marketing ploy as Santa Claus at Christmas. These symbols (hares and company) are quite ancient, but the tradition of using them for sweets and decorative ornaments is quite young - 200 years old, no more. The Germans even have a joke that Easter chocolate bunnies are uneaten and melted chocolate Santa Clauses from Christmas.

Photo from here: www.myheimat.de

Where does such a desire for decorative and sweet things come from in such a harsh and serious holiday for all believers? From there, only that tradition that brings joy will live forever. And Easter at the beginning of spring, with all its gifts, the most beautiful (including church) rites, and the mental attitude, is conducive to filling the days with something pleasant. In general, according to various sources, no one remembers exactly why and why they clung to, for example, hares. But there are a number of explanations and conjectures about the role of bunnies, sheep and testicles in Easter rituals.

It is assumed that it was in European (in particular, German) culture that paganism and Christianity were closely intertwined. For example, in German, Easter is called Ostern ("Ostern") and is celebrated for 4 days. First Maundy Thursday - Gründonnerstag, then Good Friday - Karfreitag, then Easter Sunday - Ostersonntag and Easter Monday - Ostermontag. It is widely believed that the name "Ostern" comes from Ostra (Ostra) - the goddess of spring and fertility among the ancient Germans. Here is proof that only beautiful and good traditions will live forever. As you can see, the tradition of celebrating the goddess of spring has survived in the tongue sarcophagus to this day.

Why did the hares come to the Easter holiday?

If you believe the sources below, it is the hare that is the first animal with cubs in the spring - another connection with the seasons and fertility. For quite a long time, the hare was also a symbol of Christianity in Christian Byzantium. Why? All the same sources say that since Antiquity, the hare has been an image of vitality, rebirth and resurrection.

It seems that the Christians were in agreement with ancient wisdom and decided that vitality, rebirth and resurrection is what is also characteristic of the son of God on earth. Indeed, in Christian iconography, one can often find hares next to the holy family. By the way, while I was looking for pictures, so as not to be unfounded, I came across about Easter bunnies and where they can be found in works of world art. So if you are interested, you go and read there, a person made a competent selection there.

However, it is still a mystery why the hare replaced other symbols of life and fertility in Germany, such as the stork or the chicken. Until the 20th century, it was they who brought Easter eggs in different lands of Germany :-) As for me, I also have chickens at home. On Easter they even brush off the dust :-)

These hung on flowers

These have been eaten

Why did the sheep go to the Passover?
I think that many artists are familiar with the image of a sacrificial lamb. According to tradition, even on the Jewish Passover, a lamb was sacrificed. His white hair was a symbol of purity, purity and peace. The sacrifice of an innocent being was supposed to bring people to their senses, to encourage them to lead a peaceful lifestyle. In addition, from the Latin "Agnus Dei" - the lamb of God, a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Symbols, symbols, symbols. I have already spoken above about how important they are for us people and our traditions.

Why colored eggs?
Here, too, there are several versions. The most common explanation is that in many cultures, the egg is a symbol of fertility (not again, but again!).

The second version: eating eggs and meat in anticipation of Easter was a great sin. But the chickens did not stop carrying them! They didn't care what kind of problems people had. So that the food does not disappear, the eggs were boiled and kept in the cold. At Easter they ate stocks.

The third version: tithing was often paid in natural products. On Maundy Thursday, they paid with her eggs. When tithing was abolished, the value of eggs as a unit of payment remained in the popular mind. From here, allegedly, the tradition of their ceremonial eating takes its roots.

Photo from here www.focus.de

The tradition of looking for hidden eggs at Easter dates back to the 17th century in Germany. Even earlier, in the 16th century, the church began to paint eggs in different colors. They came up with this for very pragmatic reasons - to distinguish consecrated eggs from those that are not. And since the church performed many ceremonies only for a certain fee, it is clear that noticeable signs of the work done and the money paid were needed.

The color of the eggs is not random. In a number of regions of Germany, people adhered to color coding, which takes its roots, lo and behold, in Antiquity :-) So, the yellow color was considered a symbol of wisdom and enlightenment (the sun!). Red is a symbol of life and death (in Christian iconography, a symbol of the death of Christ). White is a symbol of purity and purity. Green is a symbol of youth, innocence. Orange is a symbol of strength, endurance and perseverance. And, as if by chance, it was these color pigments that could be obtained in nature since the time of Antiquity.

But where did the tradition of insanely beautiful paintings on Easter eggs come from, for example, among the German Sorbs - more on that in another series, yeah :-)

EASTER EGGS

The egg is the main symbol of Easter, which means for Christians a new

life and rebirth. Exactly

therefore, it is an indispensable element of many Easter customs and games.
The custom of giving colored eggs to each other was not invented by Christians. That's how they still did it

ancient Egyptians and Persians,

who exchanged them as part of the celebration of the beginning of spring.

Eggs then meant a wish for fertility.

In medieval Europe, there was a tradition on Easter to present servants with eggs. In addition, their

presented to each other by lovers, as a sign of romantic sympathy.
Usually Easter eggs are painted in bright colors. The most popular is

red or purple which symbolizes the sacrificial blood of Christ. According to legend, the egg

this is the color Mary Magdalene presented to Emperor Tiberius

with the words: "Christ is risen!". Other favorites are rich yellows and greens.

shades that are reminiscent of the spring sun and greenery.

Now Easter eggs are dyed in a variety of colors, and not just sacred ones. They are also

often decorated with various patterns and ornaments. There are several ways

draw a pattern on the shell. For example, you can bind to an egg before dyeing

some kind of carved leaf, like a fern, to get a beautiful pale

contour on a bright background of the main color.

For the manufacture of pysanka, bee is used

wax, which is applied in certain places on the shell, after which the eggs

immersed in food coloring solution.

To obtain a particularly complex and multi-colored pattern, several colors are used, and before

every dive in

the surface of the shell is applied with a new wax contour, under which the previous shade is preserved.
To give eggshells different colors, you can use onion peel, instant coffee,

blueberry, cranberry and grape juice, beetroot broth and even violet petals.

Easter Bunny

The rabbit (or hare) is the same essential attribute of the Easter holidays,

like a dyed egg.

Like an egg, this animal symbolized fertility in many ancient cultures,

which is not surprising, given his phenomenal ability to quickly

and multiply profusely. It is not entirely clear why the rabbit

became associated with Easter. One version says that it means prosperity,

which awaits the followers of the teachings of Christ.

In many countries, children believed (and continue to do so) that, subject to exemplary behavior,

on their side, the Easter Bunny comes on the eve of the holiday and lays colored eggs in the nest.

The nest (or basket) had to be prepared in advance in a secluded place.

Toddlers usually used their headpieces for this purpose.

clothes, laying them out in sheds, barns and other secluded rooms. Parish

the miracle rabbit was almost as eagerly awaited as the visit of Santa Claus.

All of Germany eats chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs on Easter. Bunnies for Easter

in Germany they lay eggs.
And nowadays the rabbit has become a symbol of Easter. Interesting career for this animal.

After all, at first the Church Fathers denied the rabbit. It was believed that its meat induces

to fleeting thoughts. Scientists have long argued about the origin

hare as a symbol of Easter. Some believed that the rabbit is a symbol of the fertility of the ancient German

goddess Ostera, others - that this is a Byzantine symbol of Jesus.

There were no Easter eggs in the Evangelical Church because there was no fasting. Eggs can

there was also before Easter.

And since the eggs were not an element of the sacred meal, they received another

application. They were brightly painted and hidden in the garden. Then it took someone

who would hide these eggs. A character similar to St. Nicholas arose

or the Christ Child. And it was the Easter Bunny.

Then the search for Easter eggs began to be called the hunt for the Easter Bunny. The one who is first

found a blue egg, expected trouble. The red egg meant three days of good luck.

Even in the Goethe family in Weimar there were such

Easter games. Soon there were also stories associated with the hare.

That Easter bunny with a bell hanging around its neck is good.
On the eve of Easter, this eared character can be found everywhere and in different forms.

Rabbits are made from chocolate, marzipan and other tidbits, they are sewn from

plush and fur, sculpted from clay. The "rabbit" ornament adorns

many Easter items: festive tablecloths, napkins, dishes. And, of course, postcards.

EASTER LAMB

In many Christian countries, Easter is also associated with the image of the lamb.

He is often depicted on themed postcards.

next to the cross and the inscription "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God).

Interestingly, even in pre-Christian times, Jews, celebrating the spring festival Pesach

(it was from this name that the word Easter came), they sacrificed lambs. Early

Christians have not forgotten this custom, but have given it a different meaning.

Now the sacrificial lamb symbolized the meek death of Christ.

Thus, it is quite understandable why roast lamb takes pride of place.

on the Easter table of many Europeans. In Russia instead

“bloody” dishes are served with a harmless cottage cheese Easter.

EASTER CANDLE
The tradition of placing a large candle at the altar during the Easter night service

exists in all Christian countries.

From this candle, then all the other lamps in the church are lit.

The ritual originated in the 4th century AD, with the main candle being a symbol

Jesus Christ, and its sacred flame is a symbol of the Resurrection.

In the old days, parishioners took home candles with a blessed fire,

to use them to warm the house

lamps and kindle fires. This custom symbolized the sacrifice of Christ, who gave his life for the sake of people.

For many friends, Easter has already arrived yesterday. For us, there is more to come. So we can start comparing. Colored eggs are probably its main culinary symbol in Russia. In Germany, it's not like that at all. Easter and spring there are more often associated with a hare. Why with him?

Hares adorn the shelves of various German stores: plush, plastic, felt, paper, cardboard, not to mention chocolate hares: thousands of them are eaten at Easter.

The fact is that in Germany it is the hare that brings colored eggs, sweets and gifts for the Easter holiday. Why a hare? Indeed, unlike the numerous domestic animals that are mentioned in the Bible, hares have nothing to do with Christianity. Or let's put it this way: it would seem they don't... Deutsche Welle even conducted a special investigation into this confusing issue. And we, as always, slightly deepened it into history.

From Aphrodite to Christianity

The hare was the favorite animal of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. She was, of course, a pagan goddess, but most of the Easter traditions known today, as Wilhelm Geerlings, professor at the theological faculty of the University of Bochum, recalls, originated precisely in pagan times. "It's well known," Geerlings explains, "that the Easter Bunny or the Easter egg were popular long before the advent of Christianity."

And Easter - in German "Ostern" - comes from the name of the goddess of spring Ostara (Ostara), symbolizing the birth of a new life, the beginning of a new calendar cycle. The hare, as an unusually prolific animal, is just perfect for this holiday.

Titian. Madonna and Child with Saint Catherine (1530)

Fun for adults

At Easter, it is the hare that tosses the eggs. On Easter Sunday, the kids, according to tradition, look in the front gardens (and if the weather is bad, then at home) for multi-colored eggs laid and hidden by the Easter bunny (!)

Demolished is not a reservation. According to popular belief, the Easter Bunny lays eggs like a chicken or a duck. Although, compared to the Easter holiday itself, the Easter Bunny is relatively young. The first mention of this miracle of nature dates back to 1682.

Georg Frank von Frankenau - the first
Easter Bunny "explorer"

It was then that a professor of medicine (who changed chairs at the universities of Strassburg, Heidelberg and Frankfurt in his life) Georg Frank von Frankenau published a treatise "De ovis paschalibus" - "On Easter eggs", which says: "In South Germany , in the Palatinate, in Alsace, and also in some neighboring areas and in Westphalia, these eggs are called hare eggs.Children are told that the Easter Bunny takes them down and then hides them in the grass and bushes.This makes the little ones look for them with even greater zeal on fun for adults."

Albrecht Durer. Holy Family with Three Hares (1498)

Hare laying eggs...

And almost a century later, in 1758, the German hunter Johann Friedrich Fuhrmann seriously informed the world about a serious scientific discovery. He, as he claimed, managed to catch a hare, feed it with grain, and in March 1756, just in time for the next Easter, the hare laid a real egg, which was no smaller than a chicken one. This story, as they say in the archives, the hunter was ready to confirm under oath.

True, as for other regions of Germany, there in the Middle Ages eggs were brought to Easter not by hares, but by foxes, cranes, chickens or ... church bells. Only starting from the end of the 18th century, the "oblique" pushed aside fellows from the animal world and cathedral utensils and began to single-handedly rule the spring holiday.

"Window of three hares" in the Cathedral of Padeborn
(North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, early 16th century)

Legends and myths

According to the legends, eating hare helped to conceive sons - the successors of the family. In the early days of Christianity, however, it was strictly forbidden to serve such a roast on the table precisely because of the "licentiousness" of the animal in question. Only at the end of the 17th century, the Easter Bunny was finally "rehabilitated" and tirelessly brings colorful eggs to the delight of children and adults.

And the hare itself often becomes a decoration of a festive meal in the form of a roast. Of course, not every family, and not always in the old days, managed to serve a roast from a real hare or rabbit on the Easter table. This is how the so-called "fake hare" appeared - a very popular dish in Germany. Here's how they do it.

From meat - to your taste - minced meat, finely chopped onion and a bun soaked in milk, you need to prepare a mixture flavored with salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg. Spread the prepared "dough" in a thick layer on a damp towel, in the middle place a layer of lightly fried carrot straws and 3-4 hard-boiled eggs. Using a towel, make a roll, put on a baking sheet, grease with a beaten raw egg, sprinkle with grated breadcrumbs and bake for about an hour and a half in the oven at 180º. Bon appetit!.

Shortbread cookies - 300 g
Butter - 120 g
Mascarpone - 500 g
Sugar - 150 g
Cream 33% - 200 ml
Gelatin - 20 g
Frozen cherries - 500 g
Sugar - 30 g
Gelatin - 10 g

Cooking method

Pour gelatin (20 g) into 100 ml of cold boiled water, leave for 1 hour. In the meantime, get on with the cherries. Put frozen cherries in a saucepan, add sugar to taste. Put on fire. Do not add water to cherries. In a separate cup, soak gelatin (10 g) in 50 g of water for 15 minutes. When the cherry boils, add the soaked gelatin to it. Mix everything thoroughly and put it in a cool place. Cooking dough. Pass the cookies through a meat grinder or chop in a blender. Melt the butter. Add butter to cookies, mix: you should get a loose mass. Put the resulting mass into a mold (diameter 24-26 cm), tamp well and refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Bring gelatin (20 g) to a boil (but do not boil!) and cool it. Whip cream and sugar. Add the Mascarpone to this and mix well. Then add gelatin and mix again. Put the mass on the cookie base, put the cherries without juice on top and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

When the cherry juice has cooled, but is still liquid, pour the berries over it and leave it in the cold until it hardens.

Not so long ago, such a character as the Easter Bunny became known and popular in our country. So it is not at all surprising that our parents (not to mention the older generations) do not even know anything about this beast. But it cannot be said that all young people are aware of this issue, namely, why the rabbit is called Easter, and where this tradition came from.

Why is the rabbit a symbol of Easter?

In fact, the Easter Bunny originally had absolutely nothing to do with Easter. And even now, the Easter Bunny is nothing more than a tradition of some nations, and has nothing to do with the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord.

To begin with, we note that such an Easter symbol does not exist in all Christian countries. It is distributed only in some European countries (and more specifically in Western countries) and in the United States of America. The Easter Bunny itself is of pagan origin and its history goes back to pre-Christian Germany. Then the Germans believed in pagan gods, one of which was the goddess of fertility and spring, Eostra. In honor of her, celebrations of the onset of spring were held, which fell on the day of the vernal equinox. And since the rabbit is considered the main symbol of fertility, it was also identified with the goddess Eostra and the arrival of spring. In the 14th century, the legend of the Easter Bunny, which allegedly carried eggs and hid them in the garden, became popular.

Later, the Germans brought this legend to the United States, where the tradition arose to give children sweet chocolate and marzipan hares. Over time, this tradition merged with the Christian holiday of the Resurrection of the Lord, or Easter.

Now in some countries it is customary to give children sweet hares or rabbits and colored eggs on Easter.

Since our kids also liked this tradition, they often began to leave homemade nests for the Easter bunny. Yes, and some adults would like to decorate their home with such a symbol of Easter, make an original gift for friends, or a toy for children in the form of an Easter bunny. We offer you instructions on how to sew an Easter bunny with your own hands.

To get started, you will need a rabbit pattern. You can find it on the Internet or draw it yourself. If you decide to draw, then the easiest way for you to outline the image of any hare or rabbit.

Now take the fabric you like. Here we must make a digression. No need to try to make the Easter bunny look like a real animal, you are unlikely to succeed. Therefore, it is better to take a more cheerful fabric, polka dots, flowers, etc. Thus, you will create not only an interesting and original rabbit, but also amuse your friends or your child.

Then fold the fabric in half with the front side inward, pin the pattern to the fabric with small pins and cut along the contour (if you made the pattern by tracing the image of a hare, then make a seam allowance of about 8-10 mm on each side). Then we break off the pins and sew the rabbit along the contour. But you don't stitch them all the way. Leave a small hole so that you can turn the rabbit on the front side and stuff it with cotton wool, padding polyester, scraps or other soft material. Then sew up the rabbit to the end.

Using multi-colored markers, draw a muzzle for the rabbit. You can also use small buttons for this. And if you're lucky, then in special stores with sewing accessories you can find eyes, a nose and a mouth that are sewn onto such home-made toys. The rabbit is ready.

And for those who do not know how to sew, you can make an Easter bunny out of paper. It can be a drawing, and an application, and origami, and crafts. And some hostesses even bake cookies in the form of Easter bunnies.