Why do we have Easter eggs and the Easter bunny?

Easter is an important Christian festival - it's when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Bible says that Christ died on a cross on a day called Good Friday. According to the Bible, Jesus was then resurrected and came back to life on Easter Sunday.

Easter is on different dates each year, between 21 March and 25 April, depending on when there's a full moon in Spring.

This year it is celebrated on Sunday 9 April 2023.

Many Christians usually spend time at church in thought, prayer and celebration of Jesus Christ's life, and may get together with friends and family for a special meal.

There are also some more modern traditions to mark Easter which are very common - such as Easter eggs, the Easter bunny and chocolate.

But where do these modern traditions come from?

A lot of us may chomp on chocolate eggs at Easter, but originally eating eggs was not allowed by church leaders during the week leading up to Easter (known as Holy Week).

So any eggs laid that week were saved and decorated to make them Holy Week eggs, that were then given to children as gifts.

Victorians adapted the tradition with satin-covered cardboard eggs filled with Easter gifts.

This has now developed into the tradition that many people enjoy today.

The first chocolate eggs appeared in France and Germany in the 19th Century, but they were bitter and hard.

As chocolate-making techniques improved, hollow eggs like the ones we have today were developed.

They very quickly became popular and remain a favourite tradition with chocolate-lovers today.

The first hollow chocolate Easter eggs to be sold in the UK were released in 1873 by the company Fry's.

The story of the Easter Bunny is connected to Pagan tradition, and is thought to have become common in the 19th Century.

Rabbits usually give birth to a big litter of babies (called kittens), which are seen as a symbol of new life.

In Germany in the 1700s children would build nests, and leave carrots out for the "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws" - the Easter bunny.

Legend has it that the Easter Bunny lays, decorates and hides eggs for good children, as they are also a symbol of new life.

This is why some children might enjoy Easter egg hunts as part of the festival.

The Easter bunny doesn't do all the work alone though! In Switzerland, Easter eggs are thought to be delivered by a cuckoo and in parts of Germany by a fox.