Do Rabbits Lay Eggs or Eggs grow Hares? It is doubtful. Some Easter Mysticisms unravelled.


The Easter Bunny
'Do
rabbits lay eggs?'
When Easter approaches and symbols of chicks,
eggs and rabbits abound, do you ever wonder what the rabbit has to do with Easter and why he is often depicted carrying a basket of eggs?
What is Easter?
History actually suggests that the Easter bunny was originally a hare. In
pagan mythology, the hare represented love, growth and fertility. The hare and the egg were also the symbols of the spring and lunar goddess Eostre, from whose name it is generally believed that the word 'Easter' is derived.
In some ancient cultures, the hare was a symbol for the moon. Hares feed by night and have been observed staring at the moon when it is full. Their gestation period was also believed to be 28 days — the same as a
lunar cycle. The lunar cycle, which represented the victory of life over death or spring over winter, was celebrated around the vernal equinox. That is why the date for Easter changes each year: it is based on the lunar cycle. The Council of Nicea in 325AD decided Easter would fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox on 21 March.
So Why a Rabbit?
The rabbit has taken over from the hare, as it is far more common in many countries. Due to its reproductive proclivity, the rabbit is also regarded as a symbol of fertility. Eggs are also symbolic of new life and fertility, hence one of the reasons why the rabbit carries a basket of eggs. However, there are other myths that try to account for this.
And Eggs?
Neither hares nor rabbits lay eggs, but hares bring up their young in 'forms'. These forms are hollows in the ground, usually located in fields and meadows. Hares make more than one form so they can divide their offspring among them for safety. Plovers have been known to take over a form as a nest in which to lay their eggs. One legend relates that a woman saw a hare leaving a form and upon investigation, she found a 'nest of eggs', which she consequently believed to have been 'laid' by the hare.
According to another myth, Eostre's hare was a large, handsome bird which she one day magically changed into a hare. Because the hare was still a bird at heart, it continued to build a straw nest in which to lay its eggs.
A
German legend states that according to custom, a poor woman hid some coloured eggs in a nest for her children to find. As the children approached the nest, a hare hopped away and they therefore believed that the hare had brought the eggs!
The 'bunny' as a symbol of Easter was first mentioned in German writings in the 16th Century and introduced to
American folklore in the 18th Century. Children would build a nest using their caps and bonnets, and if they had behaved, would be rewarded with a nest of coloured eggs.
Although nowadays the real reasons for Easter have become masked in commercialism, it is interesting to delve deeper and become familiar with some of the ancient traditions behind the confectionery symbols presented to us in modern Society.


Comments

Anonymous said…
DAMN
why talk of easter eggs and Hugh Heffners bunnies

talk of the risen Christ
Anonymous said…
there is no mystery to Easter
the jews were promised a messiah a saviour

Jesus claimed I AM HE
but the jews were sceptical

they had Him crucified for blasphemy

On the third day He rose from the dead
Q.E.D.
Vest said…
Anons: Quite a departure from the normal blasphemous adjectives, listening to your pious bleating, may even draw me into praying for your sanity.
Jim said…
All dat u wanted to no, but were too shy to ask ....

Humans express love by sexual feelings to one another.This divine instinct has been curbed by victorian prudery and christian padres in the past. If God did not want us to enjoy sex, He wud have made us like amoeba to procreate by division. Sex is God's greatest gift to mankind, not only for procreation but for pleasuring also.


Sunday, March 23, 2008
The 4 Reasons Why Women Reject Men

Most men have never learned to develop their"inner self confidence"... and become the kind of guy that is literally BULLET-PROOF. If you would like to learn some of the best tricks, techniques,and concepts for building a rock- solid self-imageand massive self-confidence, then take a minute and read THIS:


SEX COUNSELLOR
Anonymous said…
Humans express love by sexual feelings to one another.

the problem arises when the other is married to a high ranking officer of the Royal navy
Anonymous said…
The Chak De effect on Indian hockey




NDTV Bureau
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 (Mumbai)
In recent memory never had a hockey team in India cornered all the attention and never had a hockey coach been such a star.

With Chak De India Shah Rukh Khan, who we see more at cricket matches, had become an unofficial brand ambassador for hockey.

But beyond the hype and hoopla there was a calculated business truth. Two weeks after Chak De India's release it had become clear that it had scored a goal at the box office and become a phenomenon.

This less than conventional tale with no romance and no high-billed heroines, instead an intimate and inspiring story of patriotism and team-spirit has won the heart of the nation.

The story is based loosely on the career of former Indian goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi who fell from grace after conceding seven goals against Pakistan in the 1982 Asian Games final.

In the film the protagonist returns to the game with a vengeance by coaching the women's team to a great international victory.

"I should say that I'm really inspired. People should make this kind of movies, which inspire not only the players, but also encourage youngsters to take up the game. It has, you know. When you're playing for the country, when you're wearing the Indian jersey, it's an altogether different feeling. And especially when you're playing in front of your home crowd," said Sunil Chhetri, Member, JCT, Indian Footballer.

Reviving hockey

The film was credited with reviving hockey, bringing it back into limelight, if even for a while, and giving the game a memorable celluloid chant.

"The intricate meaning of the word is Chak De Phatte, Nap De Killi. Killi is a small lever that you pull. And when you pull it, the water starts gushing into the fields through a motor. Now that Killi is always invariably hidden under a well. And that well is covered by wooden planks. So you lift the phatta, i.e. Chak De Phatta, and then you pull the killi. And then the water starts flowing, gushing into the fields. So it's got everything to do with positivity," said Navjot Singh Sidhu, former Indian cricket player.

And Komal, Preeti, Bindiya, Balbir and Sui Mui became household names.

"Ya, first of all hockey as a sport doesn't get much money allotted to it by major corporations, because it's not the kind of sport that gets much attention. Plus, again because it was a women's film and was a genre in a film that really hadn't been done before," said Shimit Amin, Director, Chak De India.

Yes, Chak De India was just a movie and there is a huge difference between reel life and real life.

But soon as the Indian hockey team lifted the men's Asia Cup hockey title with a huge 7-2 win over South Korea in Chennai, many said the film had been a motivating factor for our players.

Of course, very quickly the Chak De chant had been usurped by cricket at the T20 world Cup win, claiming the universal spirit of any game.

Nothing perhaps could sum up the marriage of sportsmanship in reel and real life better than this.
Anonymous said…
I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, What a wonderful world.

And I think to myself,what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, clouds of white
The bright blessed day, dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the skies.
Are also on the faces of the people going by.

I see friends shaking hands, saying how do you do.

They're really saying, "I LOVE YOU."

I hear babies cry and watch them grow,
They learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Yes I think to myself, what a wonderful world

What a wonderful world..
What a wonderful world..
What a wonderful world..
What a wonderful world..
Jim said…
to write: Abt 20mins
to find pics: abt 10mins
to choose music: 5mins

total: abt 35mins
Jim said…
thats the answer
can u guess the question?
Anonymous said…
Boy, 15, nailed to a cross as Filipinos whip and crucify themselves in gory Good Friday ritual
By RICHARD SHEARS - More by this author »

Last updated at 16:52pm on 22nd March 2008

Comments

A 15-year-old boy has been crucified in the Philipines today in a gory ritual to mark the death of Jesus Christ.

Dozens of Filipinos, including the boy and an 18-year-old girl, were nailed to crosses and scores more whipped their backs into a bloody pulp as the country's devout Roman Catholics marked Good Friday.

The voluntary crucifixions in the northern Philippines were the most extreme displays of religious devotion in this mainly Catholic country, where millions are praying and fasting ahead of the Easter weekend.

Scroll down for more ...



Better make sure that nail is sterilised: A Filipino man is crucified today

A man is nailed to the cross in the Philippines today
Read more...

RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: We've all got our crosses to bear
Thousands flock to see 'crying' statue of the Virgin Mary

In the small village of Cutud, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Manila, men cried out as nails the size of pencils were driven into their hands and feet before they were hoisted up in the scorching heat. Nineteen were to go through the process.


But government health and safety officials were keeping their eye on proceedings, after health minister Francisco Duque told those planning to be crucified to ensure they have a tetanus jab and use sterilised nails.

Never mind the clear dangers to your health of crucifixion, so long as the danger of infection is safely reduced.

Thousands watched the spectacle in Cutud, which has grown from a village production started in 1962 to a media and tourist attraction copied in other parts of the country.

For hours before the crucifixions lines of men, hooded and half naked, flayed their backs with bamboo whips and paddles tipped with broken glass. Blood splattered over the road.

The atmosphere was festive, with hawkers selling beer, ice-cream and souvenir whips. VIPs watched from a specially elevated "viewing platform".

Scroll down for more ...



Already up to 20 have taken part in the crucifixion today


The country's dominant Catholic Church disapproves of the crucifixions and flagellations as a misrepresentation of the faith.

"The spiritual dimension is totally lost, and it's entered into only because of some shows, some manifestations for other people to be satisfied with or to see," said Bishop Deogracias Iniguez.

"Many of these penitents, those who are practicing these physical afflictions have a meagre, have a shallow understanding of these practices."

Some foreigners have previously been crucified including a Belgian nun and a Japanese man, who later allowed footage of his ordeal to be used in a pornographic film. No one has ever died during the rituals.

Over 80 per cent of the Philippines' estimated 90 million population are Catholic and across the archipelago this weekend will be a time for church ritual, family and the beach.

Filipinos infuse their Catholic faith with local superstitions and some people avoid taking a shower or doing laundry after 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Good Friday - the time Chrst was believed to have died - for fear of bad luck.

Scroll down for more ...



The Filipino government says it cannot stop the devotees from crucifying and whipping themselves


Read more...

RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: We've all got our crosses to bear
Thousands flock to see 'crying' statue of the Virgin Mary

The health department said that those taking part in the rituals should have tetanus shots, check the condition of the whip they will use before lashing their backs and ensure the six-inch nails that will pierce their hands and feet have been sterilised.

"If we can't stop flagellants from whipping their own flesh, the best thing these penitents can do is ensure that their whips are clean and well maintained," said Health Secretary Francisco Duque.

"We are not trying to go against tradition because whipping has somewhat already become some form of atonement for sins for some of us.

"But this advice is important to make sure that no-one will land in hospital due to tetanus or other infections that penitents might get in the process."
Vest said…
Jim: Re your question. Answer could be, 'A post that generates a minimum of 100 comments'. Needless to say more time would be spent in the preoccupation with the text, prior to posting, in other words a lot of time and thought goes in to it before the keyboard belts out the message. Clue is K.

Anon. The chak de effect on Indian hockey, A lot of gushing about the revival of hockey, maybe a submersible pump was in the bottom of the well in order to create this unusual phenomena.
Is this an Easter ritual in India?

Anon the song is well known in the cultured world, (Louis Armstrong)

Jim and Anon: The idiosyncrasies Lies ad historic events of all the segments of the faith industry which includes your following are well documented, most miracles were performed by actors and bad one's at that. You would have a much better chance of curing a bad case of haemorrhoids by kissing the blarney stone.

An excerpt from my memoirs follows.
Vest said…
From my Memoirs circa 1940.

I was about fourteen years old when I was confirmed into the Church of England and learned the catechism and Christian principles. I also learned not to ask adverse questions about the teachings of the Bible. Our holy man had a heavy hand. He told us that blind faith in the Lord would guide us through our lives, and that the lack of faith in Christianity was an unpardonable sin. When I asked Reverend “Holy” Harling if his faith would save him if he jumped off a cliff after praying for safety, he chased me round the schoolroom waving his cane. The malevolent use of the ‘unpardonable sin’ doctrine years ago by Christian churches justified their mass murdering, torturing, and burning of people at the stake. Holy Harling was the reincarnation of Dracon 659- 601 BC.
My nose had detected that the Bishop who conducted the confirmation ceremony had been at the sacramental wine. Only once did I attend Holy Communion. I just couldn’t swallow the dogma. The thought of drinking the blood of Christ and eating his body were inhuman and repulsive to me.
Anonymous said…
I was very gullible
The padres put the mortal fear of mortal sin in me

Sunday school timings clashed with the football games

I was verry horny in my young days too
I looked at every woman with lust
the sisters too

I feared I was going to hell
the padres even told the girls not to wear sleeveless blouses
it attracted stares from the brothers who were joining the priesthood

and many a vocation to the priesthood was diverted for the pleasures of matrimony
Vest said…
Anon: Fear is the driving force of all religions, the fear of retribution from the faith industry teachings. There is no need for the influence of religion within the common laws of any community.
Anonymous said…
US military Iraq toll hits 4,000

Sunday saw widespread violence in Iraq
The number of United States military personnel killed in Iraq since the US-led invasion five years ago has passed the 4,000 mark.
The latest to die were four soldiers whose patrol vehicle was blown up by a bomb in southern Baghdad on Sunday.

In response to the news, US Vice-President Dick Cheney said he regretted every US casualty in Iraq.

Insurgent attacks and military operations left at least 47 people dead across Iraq on Sunday.

The bloodshed comes despite an overall reduction in violence since last June, when the US deployed an extra 30,000 troops in violence-hit areas - the so-called "troop surge".

'Tragedies do happen'

According to an Associated Press breakdown of the figure, 97% of deaths occurred after US President George W Bush declared on 1 May 2003 that major combat was over.

Roadside bombs accounted for 44% of deaths last year and 55% to date in 2008, the agency adds.

US soldiers interviewed by AFP news agency in Iraq said they were saddened by the figure of 4,000, but argued the conflict was justified.

"Every one of those people signed up voluntarily and it's a shame that that happens, but tragedies do happen in war," said senior Airman Preston Reeves, 26.

Staff Sergeant Jonathan Criss, 37, said the US could not "just walk away and leave the Iraqi people".

"If you interviewed the 30,000 [wounded], they would have no ill will," he added.

Withdrawal options

The 4,000th death comes just days after Mr Bush marked the fifth anniversary of the invasion, saying that it had made the world a better place.

He said in his speech that the troop surge had "opened the door to a major strategic victory in the broader war on terror".

Mr Bush has rejected any possibility of a full withdrawal until Iraq is able to defend itself.

He has the backing of the expected Republican candidate in this November's presidential election, John McCain.

But Democratic hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have both pledged to end the war.

Mrs Clinton has said she would start to withdraw troops within 60 days of being elected.

Mr Obama also favours a phased withdrawal, and has frequently said he would like all but a small residual force out within 16 months.
Anonymous said…
If u were President of the US

how wud u deal with the situation in Iraq Vest ?
Vest said…
Anon; The US Presidential candidate would require an American brain to resolve something that is a problem without an ending. However, my brain cavity would require further extension to accommodate the extra bullshit of a American statesman.

Anon: referring to children nailed to crosses in the Phillipines.
Again the faith industry insanity rears its ugly head. We get rid of witchcraft but this stupidity still exists among ill-informed communities.
"Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise.
Anonymous said…
Dont forget Vest
Blair publicly declared
God told me to bomb Iraq
along with Bush

it is a British problem too
the British
your boys are in Iraq too
Anonymous said…
Anonymous said...
kokkum Rs 5
nimbu pani Rs 3
AMUL milk Rs 10
mosambi juice Rs 10
nariyal pani Rs 12

I cant figure out why my cuntrymen drink flavored water laced with pesticide (COKE and PEPSI)at Rs 12

Monday, March 24, 2008 5:32:00 PM
Keshi said…
Every 'religious' event has some MYTHS attached to it. But its still fun...I like Easter bunnies n eggs :)

Keshi.
Vest said…
I wholly disagree with the invasion of Iraq or Vietnam or Korea or India by military or evangelical missionaries. Countries with internal problems should be left to sort out their own dirty laundry. Taking their belligerent problems off shore is a different matter, when a retaliating strike would be justifiable.
A reply from our PM two years ago, stated although I am an Australian Citizen now I am not a Real Australian (Gold card health privileged). A real Australian is one who is born here in Australia. My reply which was not answered was.
So the guy you polititians pray to for guidance each time before a parliamentary session surely must be a Donkey born in a stable.

Keshi: I love the folklore and symbolic giving of gifts during religeous festivals, showing kindness by giving to your prodigy and other mis fortunate persons, going along with a bit of tomfoolery at the Easter shows and other light entertainment. but I personally baulk at the mention of religious involvement. Its my choice.x.
Vest said…
Anon: Your description of the people in your (country) who drink toxic soft drinks. c u next Tue-s.

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