11 Facts About Easter

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1. Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Christian religion.^[Violatti, Cristian. “Easter.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. March 31, 2014. Web Accessed November 4, 2014.]
2. Eggs have been seen as ancient symbol of fertility, while springtime is considered to bring new life and rebirth.^[Dominguez, Trace. “What Does the Easter Bunny Have To Do With Easter?” Discovery News, April 19, 2014. .]
3. Americans spend $1.9 billion on Easter candy. That’s the second biggest candy holiday after Halloween.^[Orgill, Kelly. “Easter: The nation’s second biggest candy selling holiday.” The Digital Universe, April 5, 2012. Web Accessed November 5, 2014. .]
4. 70% of Easter candy purchased is chocolate.^[Torrisi, Lauren. “90 Million Chocolate Bunnies and Other Fun Easter Facts.” ABC News, April 6, 2012. Web Accessed November 5, 2014. .]
5. 76% of Americans think the ears of a chocolate bunny should be the first to be eaten.^[Torrisi, Lauren. “90 Million Chocolate Bunnies and Other Fun Easter Facts.” ABC News, April 6, 2012. Web Accessed November 5, 2014. .]
6. Egg dyes were once made out of natural items such as onion peels, tree bark, flower petals, and juices.^[USA Today. “10 things you might not know about Easter eggs.” April 22, 2014. Web Accessed November 5, 2014. .]
7. There’s much debate about the practice of dyeing chicks. Many hatcheries no longer participate, but others say that it isn’t dangerous to the chick’s health because the dye only lasts until the chicks shed their fluff and grow their feathers.^[Kingson, Jennifer. “Nobody Minds Dyeing the Egg, but the Chicken Is Another Story.” New York Times, April 1, 2012. Web Accessed November 5, 2014. .]
8. The first story of a rabbit (later named the “Easter Bunny”) hiding eggs in a garden was published in 1680.^[Dominguez, Trace. “What Does the Easter Bunny Have To Do With Easter?” Discovery News, April 19, 2014. .]
9. Easter takes place on a Sunday, after the 40-day period called Lent. Lent is referred to as a time of fasting, but participants focus more on giving up one significant indulgence.^[Russo, Nicholas V. “The Early History of Lent.” The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2013. Web Accessed November 4, 2014. .]
10. Holy Week is the celebrated during the week leading up to Easter. It begins on Palm Sunday, continues on to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and then finally, Easter Sunday.^[BBC News. “Holy Week.” October 7, 2011. Web Accessed November 5, 2014. .]
11. “The White House Easter Egg Roll” event has been celebrated by the President of the United States and their families since 1878.^[The White House Historical Association. “The White House Easter Egg Roll.” 2014. Web Accessed November 4, 2014. .]