Easter Bunny Banned.
I was this on the news. It seems that someone had set up an Easter Bunny in the St. Paul City Hall. The decorations were put up, and I assume purchased by a City Council secretary. The display consisted of a cloth bunny, pastel-colored eggs and a sign with the words "Happy Easter".
So what happened? The city's human rights director asked that the decorations be removed. The reson, it might offend non-Christians. The council president said it was not about political correctness.
I agree with Council Member Dave Thune, who called this incident a shame. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Apperently in 2001, red poinsettias were briefly banned from a holiday display because they were associated with Christmas.
I can understand with the poinsettias. The legend behind it accualy has to do with Christmas. (Here is a link to the legend.) And I could understand if it was an empty tomb, a cross, or the words "He is risin!" Too bad most people don't know the truth about the Easter Bunny.
I wasn't completely clear about it myself, so I did some research and this is what I found. (A good article can be found at About.com). The name Easter comes from Eastre or Ostara, (I've seen both spellings) a Saxon fertility goddess who was celebrated during the spring. The eggs also are part of fertility celebrations dating abck to the ancient Romans and Greeks. It was the Germans who combined the two in order to create the legend of Oschter Haws, a rabbit who layed colored eggs in nests made by children. From what I understand, this was brought to American by the Pennsylvania Dutch, where it became known as the Easter Bunny. When Christians began sending out missionaries, the coverted natives continued to celebrate their festivals, worshiping Jesus instead of fertility gods and goddesses. Eventualy they became part of the tradition and the holiday became known as Easter.
The question is this. Had they known about the Easter Bunnies orgins, would they have ordered the display removed?
So what happened? The city's human rights director asked that the decorations be removed. The reson, it might offend non-Christians. The council president said it was not about political correctness.
I agree with Council Member Dave Thune, who called this incident a shame. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Apperently in 2001, red poinsettias were briefly banned from a holiday display because they were associated with Christmas.
I can understand with the poinsettias. The legend behind it accualy has to do with Christmas. (Here is a link to the legend.) And I could understand if it was an empty tomb, a cross, or the words "He is risin!" Too bad most people don't know the truth about the Easter Bunny.
I wasn't completely clear about it myself, so I did some research and this is what I found. (A good article can be found at About.com). The name Easter comes from Eastre or Ostara, (I've seen both spellings) a Saxon fertility goddess who was celebrated during the spring. The eggs also are part of fertility celebrations dating abck to the ancient Romans and Greeks. It was the Germans who combined the two in order to create the legend of Oschter Haws, a rabbit who layed colored eggs in nests made by children. From what I understand, this was brought to American by the Pennsylvania Dutch, where it became known as the Easter Bunny. When Christians began sending out missionaries, the coverted natives continued to celebrate their festivals, worshiping Jesus instead of fertility gods and goddesses. Eventualy they became part of the tradition and the holiday became known as Easter.
The question is this. Had they known about the Easter Bunnies orgins, would they have ordered the display removed?
posted by R.C. at
5:32 PM
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