By HEATHER LARSE
Easter baskets are an integral part of the Easter celebration but are often only used as glorified trick-or-treat bags. Children collect brightly-colored eggs and candy in them each year, but few people know where the tradition started. A look into the past reveals some interesting information about this ancient tradition.
The history of the Easter basket dates back to the pagan spring fertility festivals that were celebrated at the same time as the celebration of the resurrection of Christ by the Christians. Over the centuries, these two celebrations combined traditions into what we know today as Easter; the result of this combination is pagan practices with Christian meanings.
For example, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, 'The Easter rabbit, the symbol of fertility and periodicity both human and lunar, is accredited with laying eggs in nests prepared for it at Easter.' Today's Easter baskets represent these nests that were prepared for the Easter rabbit of the pagan traditions, but the eggs the baskets hold are symbolic of the new life and resurrection celebrated by the Christians.
Today, Easter baskets come in countless shapes, sizes and colors that barely resemble nests. However, the legendary Easter rabbit continues to fill millions of children's baskets with eggs symbolizing the rebirth of Christ and the renewal of spring.