Confused about whether the Easter Bunny is secretly pagan? You’re not alone — and the real story is far simpler than the internet claims.
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In This Article
Does the Easter Bunny Come From the Goddess Eostre?
No—the Easter Bunny does not come from Eostre, Ostara, or any ancient pagan ritual. Everything we know about Eostre comes from a single sentence written by the monk Bede in AD 725, and he never connected her to hares, eggs, or spring festivals. The idea of a “sacred hare” was a 19th-century guess by Jacob Grimm, and the well-known story of Eostre turning a bird into a hare is a Victorian fairy tale, not a pagan myth. The modern Easter Bunny actually comes from German children’s folklore (1600s–1800s), late
Why People Think the Easter Bunny Is Pagan
Every spring you’ll hear the claim that the Easter Bunny comes from a pagan goddess named Eostre or Ostara. Wiccan books, viral TikTok videos, and even some Christian sources repeat the idea that hares and eggs were sacred symbols long before Christianity. At first glance, this seems believable.
But when we look at actual history, the theory falls apart. The only ancient writer who even mentions Eostre is the English monk Bede (AD 725), and he says nothing about rabbits, eggs, or rituals. No ancient source connects Eostre to the Easter Bunny.
The familiar story about Eostre’s magical hare didn’t appear until over a thousand years later, when folklore collector Jacob Grimm guessed—without evidence—that such a connection might have existed. Later, in the 1800s, Victorian storytellers created the now-popular tale of Eostre turning a bird into a hare that laid colorful eggs. It’s a modern legend, not an ancient myth.
The real Easter Bunny comes from German children’s traditions in the 1600s–1800s, where a “spring hare” delivered eggs for well-behaved kids—much like Santa Claus delivers gifts. Immigrants brought the tradition to America, where it evolved into the Easter Bunny we know today.
So is the Easter Bunny pagan? No. It’s simply a piece of European folklore. Christians are free to enjoy it or ignore it, but Easter has always been centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
A Historical Response to a Popular Wiccan Claim
Many Christians hear claims that Easter has pagan roots and feel unsettled. I once felt the same. So I decided to read Wiccan sources directly to see whether the claims held up.
Mary Silva’s Ostara presented a rich, imaginative picture of Eostre and spring rituals. At first glance, some of it sounded convincing. But Proverbs reminds us:
“The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross-examination begins.”
— Proverbs 18:17
Once we examine the evidence, the story changes dramatically.
1. What We Actually Know About Eostre
Bede is our only ancient source. In AD 725, he mentioned a spring month named after a goddess called Eostre.1 That is the entire record. No stories, rituals, eggs, or hares.
- No myths
- No fertility symbols
- No spring festival descriptions
- No rabbit or hare connections
Everything else comes from later imagination, not ancient evidence.
2. Where the “Hare Goddess” Idea Began
Jacob Grimm’s Guess (1835)
Over a thousand years after Bede, Jacob Grimm suggested—without evidence—that Eostre might have had a sacred hare.2 Scholars widely recognize this was speculation, not preserved tradition.3
German Folklore (1600s–1800s)
This is where the real Easter Bunny comes from. German Protestant regions created stories about the Osterhase—a hare that delivered eggs to children. It was playful folklore, similar to Santa Claus.4
This is the actual origin of the Easter Bunny.
3. Do Similar-Sounding Words Prove a Connection?
No. Words like Eostre, Ostara, Easter, and Osterhase resemble each other because they come from Germanic words related to “east,” not because they share a religious tradition.5
4. The Bird-to-Hare Myth Is Modern
The popular story that Eostre transformed a bird into a hare is not ancient. It appears nowhere before the late 1800s. Folklorist Venetia Newall traced it to Victorian fairy tales, not pagan religion.6
Carole Cusack confirms: the bird–hare myth is a modern invention.7
5. Verified Historical Timeline
- 1500s–1700s: German folklore about an egg-delivering hare.
- 1700s: German immigrants bring the tradition to America.
- 1800s–1900s: Easter Bunny becomes commercialized.
- 1900s–present: Wiccans blend German folklore into modern Ostara rituals.
None of this points to ancient pagan origins.
6. How Christians Can Respond
Clarity: The Easter Bunny comes from folklore, not pagan religion.
Calmness: No conspiracy threatens the resurrection.
Charity: Many people simply repeat claims they’ve heard.
And ultimately: Easter is—and has always been—about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Footnotes
- Bede, De Temporum Ratione, ch. 15.
- Jacob Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie (1835), vol. 1, p. 290.
- See Stephen Winick, “Ostara and the Hare,” Library of Congress Folklife Center Blog (2016).
- Ronald Hutton, The Stations of the Sun (Oxford University Press, 1996), pp. 180–182.
- Ronald Hutton, The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles (Blackwell, 1991), p. 190.
- Venetia Newall, An Egg at Easter (Routledge, 1971).
- Carole M. Cusack, “The Goddess Eostre,” Journal of Religious History 36 (2012).
Easter: Fact, Fiction, Faith
This post is part of a larger series examining Easter through Scripture, history, and pastoral wisdom—addressing common questions, misconceptions, and conscience concerns.
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