KIDS NEW BREAK: EASTER HOLIDAYS

- Willem: My name is Willem and this is Kids news break. Easter is coming up and we are
asking the big question: what does a bunny, candy and Easter baskets have to do with
the Christian holiday of Easter?

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We had better start with a quick history of the Christian Easter story. Jesus had gained
following in Jerusalem. He was feeding people, healing people and turning water into
wine! The people in power were not happy about this and they decided to crucify Jesus.
Three days later he rose from the dead and hey! The rest is history!

So, from that, how did we get a rabbit hopping around and giving children candy to find
on Easter morning? Well, when the Germans came to America in the 1700s they brought
with them a story about a rabbit named Osterhase that laid eggs in nests that children
build for him in the ground.

Why a rabbit? Rabbits are known to have a lot of babies and were a sign of new life.
Osterhase would leave colored eggs in the nest on Easter morning. The tradition of
building nests eventually turned into kids carrying around Easter baskets. As I check my
Easter basket for goodies, here’s Nelly with the weather.

- Nelly: There’s nothing to see here!

- Willem: Thank you Nelly!

- Willem: How did a rabbit end up laying eggs? Well, there are ideas on this. The eggs
were a pagan symbol for new life. Because a rabbit was a symbol of new life also, the
two were put together for spring festivals. Christian say that the egg is a symbol of Jesus
rising from the dead. Decorating then started back when you were not allowed to eat
eggs during Lent. They would decorate them to celebrate being able to eat them again!
I mean, eggs are good, I would decorate them too if I couldn’t eat them for a while.

And lastly candy and chocolate, yes! Why are they the special treats that we enjoy so
much on Easter? It started back in the early 1800s. Kids started seeing chocolate eggs in
their baskets. In the early 1900s, jellybeans joined the party. American candy makers
make over 16 billion jelly beans every year for Easter. I hope I don’t get any of those new
jellybeans that taste like boogers.

There are so many Easter candies! What is your favourite to find on Easter morning? Let
me know in the comments down below. To watch this video in French click here. To
learn something a little different click here. Don’t forget to like and subscribe and we’ll
see you next time!

1. What were empowered people unhappy about?

2. What happened when Jesus was crucified?

3. What did Germans bring with them when they arrived to America?
 4. What did Osterhase use to do?

5. What was Nelly doing?

6. Why rabbits and eggs were finally put together?

7. Why did people start to decorate their eggs during Lent?

8. When did people incorporate jellybeans to the tradition?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpV6jII2VO4