Peter Cotton Tail

The Easter Bunny came to our house this year.
It was tremendous fun for Collin and Owen liked it too, even if just to watch Collin's reactions.


But it also put me in a weird state of confusion about who ever thought up the Easter Bunny. Collin is at the perfect age to ask every question he can think of. So we got a bombardment of questions about who the Easter Bunny is and what his mission is. Our conversations went something like this:

"Momma, is the Easter bunny Blue?"
"Collin, I don't know, I've never seen him. He comes at night when you are sleeping."
"Then he must be red, Momma."
"Maybe?.."
"Does the Easter bunny know Santa?"
"I don't know Collin."
"But Santa knows if you make good choice and so does the Easter bunny."
"True"
"Where does the Easter Bunny live, momma?"
"I would guess in a rabbit hole like other rabbits"
"Where"
"I don't know, Collin?"
"But where, Momma"
"the Mall."
"Whats the mall, Momma."
"Its just a place to buy things Collin, lets talk about something else."



OR

"Momma, is the Easter bunny silly?"
"Maybe. Why?"
"Because he hides stuff, like eggs."
"He hid my egg in the kitchen."
"yes, that was pretty silly."
"Do you know that ducks, chicks, snakes and turtles have eggs?"
"Wow Collin, you knew that?"
"But bunny rabbits don't have eggs"
"Yes, Collin"
"Why does the Easter Bunny have eggs, momma.?"
"Good Question, Collin."


For almost every interaction we had around the Easter bunny I counted one tally mark for "ridiculous idea". I just have no idea where the whole idea came from. I mean, who decides a giant rabbit is going to pepper your house/yard with eggs, leave you a basket of goodies and hop away until next year? Its so strange.

So I did a little research. Turns out the Easter Bunny doesn't have much to do with the Christian holiday of Easter. Its actually a pagan ritual to celebrate springtime. The goddess of Spring time was named, you guessed it Eastre. So there you have it, it was about worshiping the springtime goddess. And what better symbol to represent the blossoming and fruitful nature of spring that the little rabbit that shoots out babies like its going out of style. Rabbits. Rabbits are a symbol for fertility. The Easter bunny is all about making babies. Maybe thats why he/she (although it must be a she if this is correct) leaves all the eggs laying around. If someone would just take care of fertilizing those things....

So anyway, it sort of leaves us wondering why on Earth our kids would get excited about a fertile bunny dropping eggs all over the place, but whatever- we roll with it.

Collin's questions continued on. We have a sing-a-majig that my parents gave Owen for Easter last year that sings Here comes Peter Cotton Tail. Collin asked (true to form) "Who's Peter?" and "Why does he have a tail?"
I responded with my usual go to phrase: "Good question Collin, lets find out!"

So, to round out Easter we investigated just what this Peter Cottontail was all about. Have you ever heard the whole song? Its got 5 or so verses I didn't know existed:

Here comes Peter Cottontail

Here comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail,

Hippity hoppity,

Easter's on its way

Bringin' ev'ry girl and boy

A basketful of Easter joy

Things to make your Easter

Bright and gay

He's got jelly beans for Tommy

Colored eggs for sister Sue

There's an orchid for your mommy

And an Easter bonnet too. Oh!

Here' comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity

Happy Easter Day

Look at him hop and listen to him say,

"Try to do the things you should"

Maybe if you're extra good

He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way

You'll wake up on Easter morning

And you'll know that he was there

When you find those choc'late bunnies

That he's hiding ev’rywhere, Oh!

Here' comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity

Happy Easter Day

 

Happy Spring-fertility-do-it-like-Rabbits Holiday!