Easter…a day of marshmallow Peeps, chocolate bunnies, and most importantly, family and friends, but it goes back further than that. Easter has been around for over a thousand years, and it’s more than just candy and presents.

Easter began as a pagan tradition, and was named after the Teutonic goddess of fertility and Spring, Eostre. Although it didn’t begin as a Christian holiday, soon after Jesus’ life, people began to associate the holiday with the resurrection of Christ. 

Nowadays, Easter is seen as a fun holiday with egg hunts and easter bunnies. The easter bunny was brought to America in the 1700’s, and children made nests every year, so the bunny could lay its colorful eggs. The “Easter Hare” originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether children were good or disobedient in behavior at the start of the season of spring.

This year during quarantine people have found ways to celebrate Easter. As a way to see their family, people have been using Zoom or group Facetime to “visit” their extended family. Others have been visiting family from a safe distance, like sitting on the front porch or driveway and talking to their loved ones. There were egg scavenger hunts in yards and plenty of candy this Easter holiday, and it added a little light to our dark quarantine.