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By Valerie Fentress

Easter has an awkward history no doubt. So many of the iconic images and traditions of Easter have pagan origins. 

But isn’t it amazing that most elements of Easter can be reclaimed to point to Christ? So where do some of our Easter symbols come from?

The Easter Bunny, known for delivering candy and chocolate eggs to children, has roots in springtime traditions symbolizing birth and renewal.

Originating from the Spring Equinox, the Easter Bunny arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants. They brought the tradition of an egg-laying hare, “Osterhase”, and children would make nests for it to lay colored eggs. Over time, the custom expanded to candy and gifts, spreading across the US.

Easter Egg—A Symbol of Rebirth and Renewal

Decorating eggs predates Christianity, actually.

Some 2,500 years ago, the ancient Persians, or Zoroastrians, painted eggs for Nowruz, or Persian New Year. Persian families still dye eggs for the springtime celebration, which kicks off on the vernal equinox. And there are more eggs, too.

One of the traditional items served during the holiday is kuku sabzi, a frittata loaded with herbs to represent rebirth and eggs to represent fertility.

Now, it’s no secret that religions often borrow from each other, and that’s where the Easter connection comes in. No one knows for sure when Christians adopted the tradition of painting eggs. One of the earliest records is from the year 1290 when England’s King Edward I ordered 450 eggs to be colored (or covered with fancy gold leaf) and given to royal relatives.

Funny enough, given how ancient the practice is, our mass-market egg-dying kits haven’t changed much since a New Jersey drugstore owner came up with the Paas dye tablets back in the late 1800s.

The Lamb—A Symbol of Sacrifice and Rebirth 

Lamb is often a traditional Easter food.

Christians refer to Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” though lamb at Easter also has roots in early Passover celebrations. In the story of Exodus, the people of Egypt suffered a series of terrible plagues, including the death of all firstborn sons.

Members of the Jewish faith painted their doorposts with sacrificed lamb’s blood so that God would “pass over” their homes.

Jews who converted to Christianity continued the tradition of eating lamb at Easter.

The Cross—A Symbol of Transformation 

Not only is a cross the symbol of our faith, but it embodies the transformational power of God.

Just think about it. In the Roman Empire, the cross was the most despicable criminal sentence. It was a gruesome form of torture, saved for the worst criminals. But what do we see now?

After Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection on Easter morning, it is now a symbol of hope, salvation, and love. That is a powerful transformation.

That is the transformation God wants to do with us. He wants to take our sin-filled, stained hearts and wash them white as snow. He wants to trade our hearts of stone for hearts of flesh. And he has done that through the events we celebrate during Easter.

Valerie Fentress is the award-winning author of An Easter Bunny’s Tale and host of the BookWorthy Podcast, helping families find children’s books that are good for heart and soul.