Why Do We Have Easter Eggs And Bunnies?

Why Do Eggs And Rabbits Feature At Easter Time?

Standing in a store recently, looking for two Easter eggs for neighbours children, I wondered why so many rabbits featured in the choices?

Easter is the second most popular time for chocolatiers up and down the UK, Christmas the first. But why do we eat chocolate shaped rabbits and eggs?

The Easter Egg is likely to have been linked to pagan traditions, the egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring.

Eating eggs was not allowed by church leaders during the week leading up to Easter (known as Holy Week) according to the BBC Newsround Childrens website which led to those eggs not being used were saved and decorated to make Holy Week eggs, given to children as gifts.

The Easter Bunny have been used as a folkloric figure and symbol of Easter carrying eggs can be traced originating by the German Lutherans around the 17th Century arriving in the US. Rabbits usually give birth to a big litter of babies (called kittens), so they became a symbol of new life, identifying with the meaning of Easter.

Painted eggs had become Easter gifts, particularly across Europe and still celebrated today.

The famous Cadburys brand developed during Victorian times making the hollowed eggs we’ve come to love and enjoy with the outer cardboard packaging featuring the rabbit.

Who is selling pet Easter eggs?

Pets at Home, @PetsatHome introduced their own brand of specially made Easter eggs for pets including dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets, a range of 7 different suitable eggs available for your pet to enjoy as a treat, 4 feature below, the rabbit themed boxed marketed for small pets.

Whats the egg made of?

There’s sugar, vegetable oils, carob powder, soya, milk powder, whey powder, calcium phosphate and aditives and no human cocoa powder.

What is carob powder?

Carob is the pet-friendly ingredient alternative to giving your pet human chocolate.

Carob powder is a cocoa powder alternative that pets can eat. It’s made from dried, roasted carob tree pods and looks a lot like cocoa powder. Carob powder is often used as a natural sweetener in baked goods. It’s sweet and with a unique taste.

Can small pets eat them?

Pets at Home have provided tinier sized eggs suitable for small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, chinchillas, mice, gerbils and degus in a special dandelion flavour, but not suitable for ferrets.

How to feed your pet

It’s best to break the eggs down in bite size pieces and ensure they are eaten as part of your pet’s balanced diet provided as a treat not as a main meal. Pet manufacturers advise to ensure your pet has access to fresh drinking water.

NORMAL HUMAN CHOCOLATE IS NOT OK TO GIVE YOUR PET

Vets see a rise of poorly pets cross their A&E’s during Christmas and Easter periods, where pets have managed to ingest chocolate, whether accidentally or owners giving their pet chocolate without realising it can be life-threatening.

Contact your vet immediately if you have found that your pet has accidentally eaten chocolate.

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You may like to read other recent pet food blogs include

• Choosing Your Pets Easter Egg
• Best Pet Hampers
• Choosing To Give Your Pet A TV Diner?
• Choosing To Give Your Pet A Valentine’s Day Chocolate?
• Choosing Your Pet To Eat A Chinese Take-away
• Choosing Your Pet To Eat A Traditional Christmas Lunch
• Choosing Your Pet To Eat A Vegan
• Are Halloween Pumpkins Pet-Friendly?