The term Easter is connected with Eostre, the pagan Goddess that symbolizes fertility. The rabbit soon became associated with the goddess and thereby the holiday. As a matter of fact, rabbits breed in spring and they are very fertile. The tradition of the Easter bunny was corroborated by cartoon versions of bunny delivering Easter baskets to kids. 

Eggs - hard-boiled or blown empty, painted or dyed - represent the newness of life which coincides with Christ's Resurrection. They are brought to church, given as a gift and even rolled on the White House lawn. 

Grown-ups hide the eggs and children hunt them. This tradition 15th-century theologian Matin Luther. The hunt was thought to symbolize the joy that Mary and Martha felt when they found Jesus's tomb empty after his Resurrection. Eggs can be hard-boiled, but nowadays they are more likely to be made in plastic and filled with candies or toys. 

It is customary for children to fill a basket with chocolate eggs and sweets or send a card to their parents and relatives. This tradition comes from Germany. Originally children filled their baskets with grass as a nest, hoping that Peter Cottontail would fill the nest with eggs and other treats. Nowadays nests have evolved into baskets. 

Another tradition consists in baking Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday. Risen with yeast, speckled with dried fruit and mixed peel, and heady with spices, these buns are decorated with a cross made from flour paste, probably representing Christ's death. The spices in the hot cross buns are though to represent the spices that were used to embalm Christ after his death. An old tradition says that if you bake your hot cross bun on Good Friday it won't go mouldy until next year. Another tradition cautions to store away hot cross buns, because a piece of them will heal the members of your family if need be. Despite whether these traditions are true or they are just part of British folklore, hot cross buns are a symbol of UK Easter worldwide!

And you, how are you spending Easter? Do you have any similar traditions in your country? 

Happy Easter to you and your family,
Erica