Easter is a time to celebrate new life, and spring in all its glory. We give thanks for having peace and for our family, for beautiful blooming flowers, for newborn animals, for sunshine and warm breezes.
We love decorating our Learning Space in the spirit of a holiday!
The Egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century. Eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of fasting, and then eat them on Easter as a celebration.
Rabbits (buy Rabbit toy here) are known to be prolific procreators, so since ancient times, rabbits have been a symbol of fertility and new life. According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants, whose children would make nests for the Hare (called โOsterhaseโ or โOschter Haws") to lay its colored eggs. With time, the custom spread across the U.S., and the fabled rabbitโs Easter morning deliveries would also include chocolate, while decorated baskets replaced the nests. Children would often leave out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.
I love creating little nature corners for children to explore, and Spring is a perfect time to do it.
What is on our nature shelf:
Easter Nest Wreath handcrafted in USA from California-grown oak moss, lavender, pink globes, white ammobium and Santa Cruz oregano (buy here). The wreath fills the entire learning space with divine smell.
Our Easter Steiff Bunny is lovingly stuffed and stitched by hand by artisans in Germany of soft, fine mohair and cotton, with an embroidered nose and safety eyes (buy here). Each bunny has an expressive face and one-of-a-kind personality.
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