why is rabbits and eggs associated with easter?
337097
Because they represent (re)birth and fertility, much like the spring itself and even the Christian concept of Easter. Easter happened to coincide with a pagan festival, and many of the symbols carried over.
419428
the bunny was considered by pre-christians as a symbol of spring due to its fertility. why the bunny has eggs? no clue...
475204
IN THE SPRING, MOST CULTURES CELEBRATE FERTILITY.  WE KNOW THAT BUNNIES PRODUCE PRODIGIOUSLY, AND EGGS REPRESENT NEW LIFE.  IN MAKING CHRISTIANY UNDERSTANDABLE TO PAGAN CULTURES, MISSIONARIES USED THE PAGAN SYMBOLS TO ASSIST IN TEACHING CHRISTIAN TRUTH.  EASTER IS CELEBRATED IN THE SPRING.  THUS IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HARMOMIZE THE LIFE AND TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE TO THE SPRING CELEBRATIONS OF FERTILITY & NEW LIFE IN OTHER CULTURES.
334604
It is based on Pagan traditions of fertility rites. The "rabbit" has lots of babies in the springtime. "Eggs" represent the fertility of a woman. in eating of the eggs, the woman will become fertile and hopefully have lots of kids, thus becoming like the rabbit.
435006
"Easter" is the "goddess of fetility", she represents the new life that springs up in the springtime.  Eggs and rabbits are pretty much the ultimate symbols of fertility or birth and life.  Why do we hide them? so others can find them - it's a game.   When the pagan leaders converted to christianity, they kept their old holidays and rituals and skewed them to represent their new god.  Thus, the "new time of birth" was called a "resurrection" and the "returning of the sun" (the spring equinox) became known as 'the return of the son'.  The roots are the same though - representing a rebirth in the time of spring - thus the eggs (rebirth and fertility).
979061
this question would not be able to EVER be exact. Are you looking for people that celebrate religiously or are you looking for people who hunt for eggs. to be honest with you Easter started as a pagan holiday. eggs and bunnies have nothing to do with Christ, us Christians "moved" days around so the pagans would not have a holiday of theirs.
431866
Easter, Halloween, Christmas, and others
966876
Because some of them are called rabbits. You know, like Catholics.\n\nWord.
1112477
I have never heard anything like that.  I don't think the chicken/egg/rabbit story has anything to do with Jesus.
211622
because they do - directly and indirectly.\nEaster Eggs:\nAccording to the ancient tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church , Mary Magdalene was a wealthy woman from whom Christ expelled seven "demons." On Easter morning she was the first to bear witness to his resurrection. She is called "Equal to the Apostles." The Eastern tradition tells us that after the Ascension she journeyed to Rome where she was admitted to the court of Tiberius Caesar because of her high social standing. After describing how poorly Pilate had administered justice at Jesus' trial, she told Caesar that Jesus had risen from the dead. To help explain his resurrection she picked up an egg from the dinner table. Caesar responded that a human being could no more rise from the dead than the egg in her hand turn red. The egg turned red immediately, which is why red eggs have been exchanged at Easter for centuries in the Byzantine East. \nEaster Bunny:\nThe day we celebrate as Easter was formerly a pagan holiday. The church decided to set the date for the resurrection of Jesus at the spring solstice, and then named it for a Celtic pagan feast day they wished to eradicate. It was named for Eostre, the goddess of the spring, and fertility. She was depicted with a white rabbit (the Easter Bunny).
420919
Easter is derived from an ancient Germanic name for the month of April, Eostremonat--or rather Eostre Month, in dedication to the goddess Eostre. Eostre, or Ostara was a German goddess of fertility and her return was marked by the coming of spring and the sun. The Ost in her name refers to the East--the rising of the sun. The rebirth of the day and the rebirth of the spring were her specialties, and her celebrations occured during the vernal equinox--the first day of spring. Of course calendar dates have gotten juggled about for quite a few different reasons over time and now April is no longer where it once was on the calendar at what is now March 21st.\n\nThe rabbit was a traditional symbol of the goddess because of its great fertility, and the fact that the coming of spring marked the time when all of the little bunnies were seen starting to be born.\n\nWhen Christianity became the predominant religion it was an easy transition to introduce the rebirth of the Christ figure into the already extant birth and rebirth tradition. Old ways die hard, and the bunny stuck around. \n\nAlthough there are several explanations for the eggs the Easter bunny brings, (other than eggs are another traditional symbol of birth/rebirth) the most likely is that eggs were forbidden during the fast of lent, and were decorated and eaten in abundance to mark the end of the fast.\n\nGerman protestants, although breaking with Roman Catholocism and the tradition of the lent fast, liked the egg tradition and kept it. And when German immigrants came to America, they brought with them the traditions of the Osterhase (Easter hare) and his eggs.\n\nInasmuch as Christianity has stolen the ancient goddess' name for their own holiday, it seems only fitting that its original mascot still puts in an appearance each year.
457544
When Jesus was crucified, his blood turned to chocolate. This chocolate was so powerful and sweet-smelling that it attracted millions of cute and cuddly bunnies, which promptly drank all the yummy chocolate up.
392495
There is a Paegan goddess of spring, named something that sounds sort of like Easter, and she is represented my the form of a rabbit that lays eggs.
342527
edit - \nGerman Protestants wanted to retain the Catholic custom of eating colored eggs for Easter, but did not want to introduce their children to the Catholic rite of fasting. Eggs were forbidden to Catholics during the fast of Lent, which was the reason for the abundance of eggs at Easter time.\n\nThe idea of an egg-laying rabbit came to the United States in the 18th century. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhase" (also: "Oschter Haws"). "Hase" means "hare", not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare, not a rabbit.\n\nOnly good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter. Presumably, the Oschter Haws laid them when the children were not looking.
342517
Ostara is the one I believe most closely matches Easter. She represents fertility and renewal just as spring has sprung. \n\nDid you know: Eggs were (and still are!) dyed or painted bright colors as an offering to Ostara. Dawn is the best time to invoke her. In days of old, fires were lit at dawn in her honor. It always amazes me how traditions like this survive over the millennia.---
306254
Easter has nothing to do with Jesus christ. It was made up by false religions. It's a lie.\n\n\nEaster was “originally the spring festival in honor of the Teutonic goddess of light and spring known in Anglo-Saxon as Eastre.” (The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible) “There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament.”
82602
Easter is based in part on the Hebrew calendar, which uses the lunar cycle, rather than the solar cycle used in the West.  Therefore, the date of Easter will fluctuate throughout the solar year, similar to the way the Chinese new year does, which is also based on a lunar calendar.