The church leaders of the day, desiring to make the people happy, began to compromise the pure doctrines of Jesus and His Apostles. This is how the word Easter got into Christianity. The word Easter is not found in the Bible. It does not mean Easter . The word Easter comes from Astarte, the goddess of fertility.
Bunny rabbits are symbolic of fertility because they are prolific reproducers.
Spring is a time when the earth is coming back to life from winter, when the greenery is coming forth. Many pagan rituals were celebrated at that time, and these pagan rituals and traditions were lumped together with the resurrection, watering it down. The resurrection is Christian, but Easter is not. Good Friday is supposed to be the day on which Jesus was crucified. Yet, Jesus said He would be in the heart, or the belly, of the earth three days and three nights.