Dyeing Easter eggs... One legend is that Mary Magdalene brought a basket of eggs to Jesus's
tomb, and when she found it empty, the eggs turned the colors of the rainbow.
Another Christian legend is that the Virgin Mary gave eggs to the soldiers at the cross,
and as her tears fell on them, the eggs turned brilliant colors. In ancient Egypt
eggs were colored and given as gifts during the springtime festivals.
The Legend of the Dogwood...
At the time of Jesus, the Dogwood
was a tall, strong tree, and it's wood was used to make the cross that Jesus died upon.
Because of Jesus's suffering, God changed the dogwood, and made it forever crooked
and small, so that it could never be used again in such a horrible way. The blossoms
became the shape of the cross, with crimson marks for the nails in the hands and feet, and
for the crown of thorns. It blooms each spring as a reminder of Jesus's
resurrection.
The Easter Bunny... Probably originated from the Pagan belief of rabbits
being a symbol of fertility. They symbolized new life in spring. The earliest
known associations with Easter was by the German's in the 1500's, and was probably
introduced to America in the 1700's. Then shortly afterwards came chocolate bunnies!
:-)
