The Easter Charade

It's Easter today, as well as the on-going Passover observance. One thing I like about Passover is the Seder and the lack of little rabbits bouncing around to dodge all of those colourful eggs adults hide from their children.

Oh, I know. Why diss a little egg-hunting when the squeals of delight stream forth from the mouth of babes when they find one?

Nevertheless, I'm constantly amazed at how many Christian-based holidays are rife with cutesy symbols (Santa Claus, Reindeer, Expected Gifts, Easter Bunnies, etc,). Why did a Bunny/Hare become the symbol of one of the most religious of all Christian religious days? And yes, a Hare is a larger form of a Wittle Wabbit but shares the same reputation and hippity-hoppity gyrations of its cousins.

In researching the origins of why the Rabbit/Hare and the colourful eggs became associated with the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, a variety of explanations abound depending on how many articles one reads. The primary information is simple, really. Rabbits have a tendency to breed beyond belief, thus they represent "Birth" and with the Spring Equinox in-sync with the holiday, "Rebirth" - as in "Spring" - is the culprit.

The above is the easiest explanation. And the eggs? Well, eggs hatch into beings and also represent fertility and renewal. There is much more to the lore of why the eggs became involved since Rabbits don't lay eggs, just fuzzy little rabbits every five minutes, and there are numerous discussions and historical renderings of why the eggs are dyed but I won't banter on about all of that. You can look it up and freeze your mind in the process of digging through various scholarly explanations.

All I know is that Easter is a jumble of religion, seasonal change, unusual pagan rituals and fashion parades that are too colourful for words. It has become a "Look At Me" day when many people go to church wearing their Finest-Of-The-Finest clothing because, you know, dressing-up for the new season supersedes the basic simplicity of what Christ represents.

Oh yes, you could say that dressing-up is to show respect. I say it's a shame that fashion is one of the main focuses of this holiday. Isn't this a day for Christians to glory in the Resurrection of their Savior rather than how glam one looks in the mirror? I doubt that Christ would be impressed. He was a man of simplicity, correct?  I'm sure he would rather his followers use the money they spent on garments to feed the hungry and help the poor.

But I digress from the primary purpose of this post: Rabbits/Hares. "Easter Bunnies."

Funny, isn't it, that the primary social symbol of Easter is an animal that is the most sexually promiscuous of them all? Perhaps that explains why so many church-going politicians have a difficult time reigning-in their lusty behaviour and thoughts.

It must be in the Hare.

Image via: http://www.simtalk.com