Easter Bunnies epitomise Spring Gifting at Brilliant Wall Art

Easter is a celebration of the Christian Church, of re-birth, new life, of Spring, eggs, chicks and cute bunny rabbits.

People have varying opinions upon their verisimilitude because they are steeped in symbolism, myth and legend, but this doesn’t prevent the festival from being celebrated by many millions of ‘consumers’, believers or otherwise, throughout the world.

Click on this link to learn the Christian story of Easter as told by the heart-warming children of the Anglican, Christ Church situated in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent:

In 2019 Easter falls on the weekend of Good Friday 19th April to Easter Monday the 22nd April. It will be on the morning of Easter Sunday (the 21^st April), when the Easter Bunny hides Easter eggs for the traditional children’s Easter Egg Hunt.

Easter bunnies? Where did that come from? It is tempting to assume that there’s no biblical basis for the Easter Bunny. After all, rabbits and hares have no religious significance, or do they? History informs that this is not the case.

Rabbits and hares have been associated with Mary, mother of Jesus, for centuries. Their association with virgin birth comes from the fact that hares (often thought of as rabbits) can produce a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first. Rabbits have a reputation for prolificacy and have been used as a symbol of fertility for centuries.

Indeed, some folklorists have suggested that the Easter Bunny derives from an ancient Anglo-Saxon myth, concerning the pagan fertility goddess Ostara. It seems that the association between the Easter Bunny and Ostara began with the 8th-century scholar the Venerable Bede in his work ‘The Reckoning of Time’. The online site ‘Goddess Gift’ tells this fascinating story:

“Ostara, the Goddess of Dawn (Saxon), who was responsible for bringing spring each year, was feeling guilty about arriving so late. To make matters worse, she arrived to find a pitiful little bird who lay dying, his wings frozen by the snow. Lovingly, Ostara cradled the shivering creature and saved his life. Legend has it that she then made him her pet … Filled with compassion for him since he could no longer fly because of his frost-damaged wings, the goddess Ostara turned him into a rabbit, a snow hare, and gave him the name Lepus. She also gave him the gift of being able to run with astonishing speed so he could easily evade all the hunters. To honour his earlier form as a bird, she also gave him the ability to lay eggs (in all the colours of the rainbow, no less), but he was only allowed to lay eggs on one day out of each year. Eventually Ostara lost her temper with and she flung him into the skies where he would remain for eternity as the constellation Lepus (The Hare), forever positioned under the feet of the constellation Orion (the Hunter). Later, remembering all the good times they had once enjoyed, Ostara softened a bit and allowed the hare to return to earth once each year, but only to give away his eggs to the children attending the Ostara festivals that were held each spring.”

The earliest literary reference to an Easter Bunny, distributing eggs, can be found in a German text from 1572 … “do not worry if the Easter Bunny escapes you; should we miss his eggs, we will cook the nest.” In the 17^th century, another German mentions this Easter Bunny, describing it as an, “old fable.”

In the 18th century, German immigrants took the custom of the Easter Bunny, to the United States of America (USA). By the beginning of the 20^th century, sweet shops throughout the USA and Europe were selling rabbit-shaped sweet candy, forerunners of the chocolate bunnies we have today. The rest is history.

Have you bought your Easter 2019 Easter gifts yet? Have you ever thought of a rabbit orientated Easter theme for Easter gift ideas? Brilliant wall Art have some good ideas.

They have fabulous wall art being the Midlands premier wall art, home and garden accessory specialist. We can pull that rabbit out of the hat for you!

This rabbit is more than just a rabbit ornament. It is a stainless-steel sculpture. The rabbit design is an elegant and attractive statement piece, constructed from high-grade stainless steel, so will not rust. It measures approximately 39cm (15.25") high x 37cm (14.5") wide x 12cm (4.75") deep.

Alternatively, what about this reasonably priced quirky, garden metal rabbit watering can. It is a practical and fun item for the house or garden. Handmade from metal, powder coated and oil painted, it is a perfect gift idea for all ages and gardening lovers. It measures approximately 23cm high x 18cm wide x 26cm deep.

Why not also scan Brilliant Wall Art’s easy to use online shop for Spring and Easter gift ideas. There's an Easter gift for everyone!

Finally, why not have a great day out in April and May and visit a Brilliant Wall Art show at the same time. Brilliant Wall Art are displaying their excellent wall art and other home furnishings and products at many events and festivals, including:

Worcester UpMarket Market every Saturday
Bewdley Market on the first and third Sunday of every month
25th - 28th April - Harrogate Spring Flower Show - Great Yorkshire Showground, HG2 8NZ
9th - 12th May - RHS Spring Festival - Three Counties Showground, WR13 6NW

RHS