CLICK HERE FOR BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND MYSPACE LAYOUTS »

Friday 10 April 2009

Happy Easter From The Easter Bunny.......

****************************
****************************
****************************
****************************
Easter Blessings from a sunny Cornwall. We had glorious sunshine on Friday, a rare site these days. Hopefully it will last for the Easter break so people on holiday can enjoy their stay here. I am lucky that I am not far from a beach, which is a beautiful place to walk about and explore. There are interesting coves and rock pools but like most of the Cornish coastline can be hazardous if you forget about the fast incoming tide. A walk back across the sand dunes is then called for and on a clear day you can look across the ocean and see St. Ives.......

~~~~~~~~

Vintage postcard of part of the beach near where I live



A view from the Towans


~~~~~~~~


I wonder if the Easter Bunny will be hopping about the Towans on the night before Easter, carrying a basket filled with colourful eggs, toys and candy for children to find when they wake in the morning. Along with Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy to name but a few, the Easter Bunny is part of the magic of childhood......


~~~~~~~~








~~~~~~~~
The origin of the Easter Bunny tale appears to have begun in Germany in the 1600’s and it was not until the 1800’s that the first edible Easter Bunnies were made, also in Germany. The bunnies at this time were made of pastry and sugar and not chocolate as some are seen today.......
~~~~~~

The tale of the Easter Bunny travelled to America with German settlers in the 1700’s, where it was passed on and is now known world-wide. However, in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" is in fact a hare, not a rabbit.... According to the tradition, children would build brightly colored nests, often out of caps and bonnets, and hide them in secluded areas of their homes. Children would wait in anticipation the night before Easter morning before discovering what treats had been left in their nests. Very similar to Christmas Eve, many a disturbed sleep must have been had by both parents and child........


~~~~~~~~







~~~~~~~~
Along with the Easter rabbit the egg is also seen as a tradition at this time. In early spring birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares have large litters. This was seen as symbols of the rising fertility of the earth, so this may explain why the rabbit and eggs became an Easter tradition....

~~~~~~~~






~~~~~~~~


Another tradition associated with Easter is the good old Easter Egg Hunt when decorated eggs, either real hard-boiled ones or artificial, or made of chocolate, of various sizes, are hidden in various places for children to find. Traditionally the eggs were seen as a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in Pagan celebrations. I remember my friends and I organizing egg hunts for our children and still finding some weeks later. I may just start it again when my grandchildren are a little older...lol......


~~~~~~~~


'Oh look, some brightly coloured eggs'
(
Photo curtsy of Wikipedia)


~~~~~~~~
Looks like this rabbit may have found some of the eggs left behind...hehe...I hope you have a lovely Easter. Due to hubby working I will be at home for most of it apart from Sunday afternoon when I will visit my baby grandson in hospital, who we hope will be home soon. He is doing really well despite being seven weeks premature. These little ones are tough. I will also spend some time with his darling older sister. And if the sun shines today or even if it stays dry then I may just take a walk on that beach...until next time...lol.......


~~~~~~~~