Easter… it’s hard to believe we are coming up on that time of year already. March is almost over and Spring is in the air (finally!). In celebration of the upcoming Easter Holiday, which this year falls on April 5th and 6th, we thought we would list some fun Easter Facts.
The History behind the Holiday:
- The original date of Easter was in 325AD.
- There’s a link between Easter and Passover and in some countries and languages, the words for the two feasts are related.
- The date changes every year because it’s celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. Easter Sunday can be any time from March 22nd to April 25th
- The Easter Bunny tradition made its way to North America in the 18th century. It is believed to have originated in Europe where it was actually the Easter Hare.
- Easter has been named after Eastre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess. The symbols of the goddess were the hare and the egg.
- Easter is known by different names across the world (English – Easter, French – Paques, Spanish – Pascua, Italian – Pasqua, Albanian – Pashke, German – Ostern, Greek – Pascha, Norway – Paaske, Holland – Pasen and Swedish – Pask).
- Eggs are given as a symbol of rebirth in many cultures.
- The customary act of painting eggs is known as Pysanka.
- The first Easter basket was given the appearance of a bird’s nest.
Mmmm…chocolate!
Mmmmm, chocolate (and other yummy treats):
- After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday.
- Hot cross buns, made by European monks, are counted amongst the earliest Easter treats. They were given to the poor people, during the month of Lent.
- In the old days pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer.
- The first chocolate eggs were made in Germany in the 19th century and remain one of the most popular Easter candies today.
- Around 90 million chocolate bunnies are made for Easter each year.
- Solid chocolate bunnies are favored, followed closely by hollow chocolate bunnies, marshmallow filled bunnies, and other Easter bunny candy.
- When taking a bite into a chocolate bunny, 76% of Americans prefer to bite off the ears first. 5% eat the feet first and 4% eat the tail first.
- Each day throughout the year, 5 million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are produced in preparation for Easter.
- 16 billion jelly beans are made specifically for Easter which is enough to fill a plastic egg the size of a 9-story building.
- As per the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest Easter egg made was just over 25-ft high and was made of chocolate and marshmallow. Weighing at 8,968 lbs., the egg was supported by an internal steel frame.
Please note our Office Hours for the upcoming holiday:
Friday, April 3rd CLOSED
Saturday, April 4th OPEN 10:00AM – 4:00PM
Sunday, April 5th CLOSED
Monday, April 6th OPEN 8:30AM – 5:00PM
The Costen & Associates Team would like to wish all of our clients, friends, family and associates a very Happy Easter! May your weekend be filled with fun, sunshine and special treats from the Easter Bunny.
The Costen & Associates Team
