The state of Pennsylvania, particularly the southeastern region where so many German immigrants settled, is notable for being the birthplace of several celebrated holiday traditions now widely recognized throughout the United States. While the most obvious callouts are the plentiful Christmastime contributions that first began here, it’s also worth noting all the exciting Easter rituals that originated in the state as well. From the Easter Bunny to the dying of eggs and even taking the emerging Easter candy industry to popular new heights, for this Flashback Friday Feature, I’m looking into all those beloved American Easter traditions that first got started in Pennsylvania.
Origins of the Easter Bunny
First, let’s get into a bit of the bunny basics and discuss the animal’s enduring, albeit, questionable long-term association as an Easter symbol. From a Christian religious perspective, there is no Biblical mention of a bunny anywhere in the account of Christ’s death and resurrection. Rabbits have, however, been forever connoted with fruitfulness, multiplicity, and bringing forth new life and renewal. This can arguably be symbolic on a religious level while also being representational of growth, rebirth, and spring—the season when Easter is celebrated.
The Easter Bunny’s origins may also have been partially inspired by the pagan goddess of fertility—Eostra, whose animal symbol just happened to be the rabbit. Some historians also believe that the derivative of the term “Easter” as a holiday name was born from the pagan festival of “Eostre” honoring Eostra as a way of encouraging a broader conversion to Christianity.
While the bunny is now the most iconic animal associated with Easter, it should be noted that elsewhere throughout the world, other creatures have come to serve in similar emblematic roles. Some parts of Germany had an “Easter Rooster” or “Easter Fox,” for instance. But what eventually emerged as its most popular mascot critter was the “Oschter Haws,” (sometimes spelled “Osterhase”) or “Easter Hare” in English. The earliest traceable mention of this legendary leporid appears in a German rendition of A Dictionary of English Folklore, written in 1572. The first recounting of a children’s story about the Oschter Haws laying colorful eggs goes back to at least 1682.
Easter Bunny Comes to the Colonies
German immigrants, who arrived in the New World and settled in regions that are now known as the Pennsylvania Dutch communities of today, brought with them their legend of an egg-laying Easter Hare. Eventually manifesting into our modern interpretation of the Easter Bunny, this lovable mainstay has been a part of the American Easter fabric (at least among the German communities) since the mid-1700s.
As a fun and festive Easter ritual among families of German descent, children would concoct nests for the visiting Oschter Haws, who would come in the night and lay his brightly colored eggs. Carrots were also frequently put out as a special treat to show appreciation. Eventually, the Oschter Haws/Easter Bunny emerged as a gift-giver of candies and other goodies. Therefore, children took to the practice of leaving out decorated baskets to receive these expected presents.
Eggs and Egg-Dying
Whether laid by a bunny or not, the egg stands out as yet another enduring symbol of the Easter holiday. There are many distinguishable possibilities for why it is so, many of which have direct religious associations. Because eggs are incarnations of the promise of hope and new life, it has been said that they may represent the emergence and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb. Also, eggs have long been historically included in Passover Seders and may have even been a part of the Last Supper. Another reason why eggs are such a big part of Easter celebrations may date back to the long-ago Lenten practice of abstaining from the consumption of eggs and all other animal products (meat and dairy) for 40 days. So, in marking the end of the Lent fast, it became customary to have eggs on Easter.
As for the whole idea surrounding an Easter Bunny laying colorful eggs, this too led to the American adaptation of a German tradition—the dying of Easter Eggs. Let it be known, however, that the practice of egg-dying and decorating isn’t exclusively German in origin, but it did develop into yet another unique holiday ritual among Germans nevertheless. The traditional practice was to take eggs that had already been hard-boiled and then submerge them into homemade dyes. Various color creations were achieved by boiling such things as onion skins, madder roots, hickory bark, walnut hulls, and more. Additional adornments were applied to the artsy egg displays via scratching and carving tools.
Growth of the Easter Candy Industry
As mentioned previously, the Easter Bunny legend eventually grew to include the gifting of treats for children by the Bunny himself. This sweeter side to the German-based Easter tradition took off during the 1900s and was the eminent driving force behind the Easter Bunny’s universal growth and appeal throughout America, even among non-Germans.
Because Pennsylvania has long been a hotspot for the candy industry, most notably Hershey’s, previously handmade Easter chocolates and treats originally crafted on a much smaller scale were starting to be mass-produced by the early 20th century. The Hershey Company in particular thrived in creating chocolate bunnies, chicks, and eggs that sometimes even contained fillings.
Just Born Quality Confections, most popular for those iconic PEEPS, has been headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania since the 1930s. Just Born acquired the Rodda Candy Company of Lancaster—the original creators of these marshmallow-like candies in 1953. Before the acquisition, PEEPS were way less widespread and made utilizing a labor-intensive hand-squeezing process. Just Born helped to mechanize the process, allowing for mass production. While PEEPS are produced year-round, they are arguably most popular at Easter time.
On another side note, Just Born is the noted creator of TEENEE BEANEE gourmet jelly beans. As anyone with an Easter Basket knows firsthand, jelly beans are also among the popularly included mainstay goodies, alongside chocolates and PEEPS .
From Christmas to Easter, it cannot be denied. Pennsylvania stands out as the undisputed cradle location of many beloved holiday traditions that have become universally celebrated throughout the United States over the years.