Weird history of Easter Bunny you may not know

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Cute bunnies and colorful chocolate eggs seem to lighten up the moods for Easter every year, making it a delightful festival with no profound meanings. That's really not the case.

Easter is the day on which the resurrection of Jesus is said to have taken place, so the festival has a religious significance and an ancient origin, just like Christmas.

The date of celebration changes from year to year, as Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

So you may ask, why Easter Bunny? What do rabbits and hares symbolize?

In Christian art, hare is regularly associated with rebirth and resurrection, which has its biblical basis, said an article from The Conversation. Rabbits and hares have also been associated with Mary, mother of Jesus, for centuries.

Besides, rabbits and hares have always been connected with spring seasonal rituals because of their amazing powers of fertility.

The earliest reference of an Easter Bunny can be found in a 1572 German text, the article said. When German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania in the 18th centuries, they brought the tradition to the United States.

Prior to the 17th century, children were rarely the center of attention on the festival, but the gradual recognition of a joyous childhood as time of life largely impacted how Easter is celebrated nowadays. And that's when Easter eggs and Easter bunny become important later on.