TRUE ORIGINS OF THE EASTER BUNNY

**Lamplighter** Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:26 pm

Viral German supermarket ad reveals 'true' origins of Easter Bunny.

How on earth did humans come up with the idea of a bunny laying eggs for a Christian holiday? This viral German advert has a compelling theory.

If you’ve ever wondered how the Easter Bunny came to possess its magical ability of placing colourful, chocolate eggs around your garden, German supermarket chain Netto has an answer.

Was the Bunny bitten by a chicken with special powers, sort of like Spiderman’s origin story? Or did it come from another planet where bunnies are already born with special abilities, more like Superman?

Nope. Apparently the true story is neither of these. The Easter Bunny in fact came into the world the same way many little Berliners are likely conceived: after its parents eyed one another during a boozy night out clubbing.

The rest of the commercial depicts the Bunny’s complex, internal struggle with its own identity as a bi-species being, often taunted by its more pedigreed peers. But we won't spoil the ending for you.

The video has already collected nearly 4 million views as of Friday after being posted last Saturday.

The original idea of the Easter Bunny, or Osterhase in German (literally Easter Hare), was in fact a very German creation dating back to the Middle Ages, according to Berlin City Museum biologist Beate Witzel.

By the 17th century, the Easter Bunny would bring eggs for children to discover on Easter. And the creature bringing treats wasn’t always a hare: there was also an Easter Fox, Stork and Crane in various regions before the hare became mainstream.

But why a bunny? A big reason for this is that given their reputation for frequent reproduction, bunnies represent fertility and new life, just like eggs do, which are big themes of springtime and the Christian belief in Jesus' resurrection.