The Easter Bunny (also called the Easter Rabbit or Easter Hare) is a folkloric figure and symbol of Easter, depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs. Originating among German Lutherans, the “Easter Hare” originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether childrenwere good or disobedient in behavior at the start of the season of Eastertide. The Easter Bunny is sometimes depicted with clothes. In legend, the creature carries colored eggs in his basket, candy, and sometimes also toys to the homes of children, and as such shows similarities to Santa Claus or the Christkind, as they both bring gifts to children on the night before their respective holidays. The custom was first mentioned in Georg Franck von Franckenau’s De ovis paschalibus (‘About Easter Eggs’) in 1682, referring to a German tradition of an Easter Hare bringing Easter eggs for the children.
Unlike Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day which all fall on fixed dates, Easter can be anytime between March 22 and April 25. In 2019 it falls on Sunday, April 21.
Good Friday is therefore April 19, and the Easter Monday bank holiday is on April 22. The date is decided by a complex set of calculations based on observations of the moon.
In early Christianity, different churches used different methods, leading to disagreements which remain unresolved centuries later. Eastern and Western churches continue to celebrate Easter according to different calendars, although sometimes by chance the festivals coincide.
When do the schools break up for Easter 2019?
Schools usually get around two weeks off for the Easter break. Because Easter is late this year, in most areas kids will be off for the two weeks before.
That means they break up on Friday, April 5, and go back on Easter Tuesday, April 23 – which is also St George’s Day in England. With the weekends and the bank holiday, that stretches to 17 days. Other schools might take the two weeks either side of Easter so the two bank holidays fall within the Easter holidays.
Dates vary in different areas so you should check your school or council’s website
