The Easter holiday means a lot of things to a lot of people.
From the traditional observance of Jesus’ resurrection depicted in the Bible, to the more recent customs of donning pastel outfits or searching for candy-filled plastic eggs, Easter serves as the unofficial start of Spring.
One of the best-known Easter symbols is that of the Easter Bunny. Cute and lovable, or utterly terrifying, depending on the point of view, the origin of the Easter Bunny lies in a German fable passed down over generations.
The Easter Bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare. Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs.
Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and the fabled rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.
Over the years, Easter candy has become the second-best selling form of sweets only behind Halloween candy. A big part of the confectionary influx has been the growing tradition of Easter Egg Hunts worldwide.
Highlands has a world-class Easter Egg Hunt at the Rec Park each year. The 2023 event, open to children ages 0-9, will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 8.
The Village Green in Cashiers will host its Easter Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. for anyone who may be in the market for back-to-back searches.
For those looking for a more church-focused way to mark Easter, there are holiday services across the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau during Holy Week – many of which are featured in advertisements throughout this edition of The Highlander. From Maundy Thursday, to Easter Sunday, there is sure to be a service to suit worshipers of any denomination.
The Easter holiday weekend is the perfect time to take a deep breath, relax and remember that new life abounds during the spring – Whether or not there’s a magic bunny, colored eggs, candy, or not.