The Origin of the Easter Bunny Academia TRIVIUM

What does a rabbit who hides eggs and candy have to do with the Christian
holiday of Easter?

Long ago, even before Christianity, the people in northern Europe celebrated a
springtime holiday when they honoured the goddess of spring. They called this
goddess "Easter." It was believed that Easters symbol on earth was a rabbit.

Later, when the people became Christian, their springtime celebration was
combined with the religious one and given the English name of Easter.

There are many myths about the goddess Easter and her rabbits. One story says
that Easter magically turned a bird into a rabbit. The rabbit began to lay
coloured eggs and Easter gave away the eggs to children. Later, children
believed that the Easter Bunny would leave them coloured eggs if they were
good, and they left out their Easter bonnets and caps for the gifts.

The Easter bunny was introduced to America by German settlers who arrived
during the 1700s. Germans were also the ones who made the first candy Easter
bunnies. They were made of pastry and sugar. It wasn't until later in the 1800s
that chocolate was used.

Questions

1. What is a bonnet?
a basket a hat a shoe

2. How were the goddess Easters rabbits able to lay eggs?

a) She put the rabbits in a chicken coop.
b) She fed the rabbits bird food.
c) She turned a bird into a rabbit who could lay coloured eggs.

3. Long ago, who was the northern European goddess of spring?

Bunny Easter Easter

4. What did the goddess Easter do with all the coloured eggs?
a) She gave them away to children.
b) She left them on doorsteps.
c) She made scrambled eggs.

5. Why did children leave out their Easter bonnets and caps?
a) so that the Easter Bunny would leave coloured eggs
b) so that chickens would lay eggs in them
c) so that their parents would leave candy

6. When were chocolate Easter bunnies invented?

a) before Christianity b) late 1700s c) late 1800s

7. How did the Easter Bunny tradition get to America?

a) with Christopher Columbus b) with Christian missionaries c) with German settlers