Easter is a tasty time for the candy industry. The 2006 season saw almost $1.9 billion in candy sales - second only to Halloween, which took in $2.1 billion. Each year, more than 90 million chocolate bunnies and 16 billion jelly beans (red is the favorite color) are made for the holiday. Each day, more than 5 million marshmallow eggs, bunnies and chicks are fluffed and dyed.
So how did the candied critters become a staple of one of the widest spread religious holidays in the world? Not so fast right-wingers! As easy as it might be to blame present day candy companies, Easter goodies can be traced back to the 1300s, when monks would pass out buns to the poor to eat on Good Friday. Though the icing-crossed bun was originally part of pagan culture, it was later reinterpreted as a cross to promote Christianity.
The Easter bunny also has pagan origins. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the Spring season. The Easter bunny started in Germany, where it was first mentioned in writings in the 1500s. The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s, made of pastry and sugar. When the Germans came to America, the Easter bunny came with them. His arrival was considered childhood's greatest pleasure next to a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve. The kids believed that if they were good, the Easter bunny would lay a nest of colored eggs (never mind that they don't lay eggs.) Boys would use their caps and girls their bonnets to make the nests in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the garden. These were the first Easter baskets.
Something new in the candy aisle this year are sugar-free Peeps and other better-for-you items, stemming from the issues with childhood obesity and diabetes. Candy sellers also have taken the hint that the Easter Bunny is no longer exclusively visiting children. Higher-end chocolatiers such as Russell Stover, Dove and Lindt are appealing to grown-up tastes with items like dark chocolate rabbits wrapped in elegant gold foil (my personal favorite.)
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