Easter bunny

The earliest reference to the Easter Bunny dates back to before the 17th century, when the Germanic people of Europe introduced the Osterhase—a rabbit that brought gifts to children at Easter time. According to History.com, when these Germanic immigrants settled in America in the 1700s, they brought this tradition with them to Pennsylvania. The tradition even included children leaving carrots out for the Osterhase, much like leaving cookies for Santa at Christmas.

Another popular theory about the Easter Bunny

The myth of Ostara is another popular theory that some contend is the origin of the Easter Bunny. The eighth-century scholar known as the Venerable Bede wrote in his work The Reckoning of Time that the word Easter stems from Eostre (another version of the name Ostara). Fruchtman elaborates on this theory, saying that Bede (an English monk) wrote that the word comes from an Anglo-Saxon goddess, Eostre, whose feast day in the spring coincided with the day of the Christian paschal celebration. However, no other source mentions Eostre, and it’s entirely possible that Bede made her up. But Bede makes no mention of rabbits or eggs being associated with her.