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 children were good or disobedient in behaviour at the start of the season of
Eastertide.
[1] 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[2] (About Easter Eggs) in 1682
[3] referring to a German tradition of an Easter Hare bringing Easter eggs for the children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Bunny