A bit of Easter trivia from our German ancestors! Sandra In the early 1700s, the Pennsylvania "Dutch" began dying Easter eggs as they had in the Old World, and are credited with starting this practice in America . The oval shape of the egg was the same shape for a raindrop and a seed, and both these were symbolic of important life-giving elements. The egg itself promises new life as in spring, birds, and many other animals are hatched from eggs. The eggs were often dyed bright colors, to represent the colors of spring, from blooming flowers to the bright sun. According to an old German story, a poor woman hid some brightly colored eggs in her garden as Easter treats for children. While the children were searching, a hare hopped past. The children thought that the hare had left the eggs. So every Easter, German children would make nests of leaves and branches in their gardens for the hare, and this custom came to Pennsylvania with the German settlers. The hare became a rabbit because there were more rabbits in the United States, and today it is called the Easter bunny. Non-German Christians ignored the rabbit till some time after the Civil War, when the celebration of Easter became more widespread. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.0/306 - Release Date: 4/9/2006