New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-07
TIE EGG AND THE HARE.
TWO DIFFERENT SYMBOLS OF THE EAsTHS
ANNIVERSARY.

OF late years there has been a marked ana eroW;'
ing tendency on the part OF Easter artists ana con-
fectioners to substitute the rabbit or mare ioT s"s
old familiar Easter egg as a symboi OF inc 1oyo~s
Easter anniversary. In the weil-remempereo "os
long ago" the egg held absolute and undisputeo
svay a. the universal emblem Of the resurrection
Then the egg "rpened" and the fury little cnick
added It's cunning presence 10 confectcnens WIN
dow decorations. So far the connecuoh oe'"es.
the symbol and the event was so easily unders'o0o
that comment or questioning would nave Deen gu.
tirely superfiuous but with the advent OF tns
bunny" tribe the completely becomes TOO sn''
barrassng for silence. and one is anxious 70 ns.s
an answer to the question. Why? The timid, DAINTY
little long-eared rabbit Is certainly cute ana -
tractive but what has 1t to do with Easter! NO
one questions Its beauty or effectiveness Uss
wherein lies its appropriateness?
In seeking answer to this reasonable inquiry
one finds easy clew In the work OF Chinese'
japanese and Hndoo. artists. who all agree IN
associating the hare with the moon. in the m'nds
Of these authorities the IMAM In the moon. WIN
whom one Is so we'll acquainted. Is not man Ut
all, but a hare; and 1t Is found In STUDYING INC
mythology OF these countries that the hare ana
the moon identical in their syrnooiosy-tne
Chinese representing the moon as hare pound
ing rice In mortar. After establishing the con-
nection between the hare and the moon the fess
is easy. for Easter Is really festival OF the moon.
its date being fixed by the Council Of Nee y, noon O.,
following the verna equinox. "a
SO the moon being clearly related to Easter ana
the hare being related to the moon, the mare -
clearly entitled TO participate In the Easter enee'.
OF course this only opens the door TO a nooo OF
eager questions whose answers are only 10 De founo
In dusty, musty tones Of neurological lore. ana the
Ing. Just why the hare should have been adopted
as the symbol Of the moon is not easy to determine
In the clouds of antiquity and complicated by con.
ficting testimony: One account has II that Buddns
once desired 10 feed hungry fellow-creature ana
to do this took the form OF hare. In this form
he transferred to the moon, where ne stiIi re-
mains
Equally reliable Is the account OF Indra's being at
one time In furnishing condition, when the hare
being extremely sympathetic creature was
naturally heartbroken at such distress Unable TO
relieve the great mans hunger In any other way
the hare threw himself into the fire and thus saved
sacrifice Indra translated the animal TO the moon
Many more recent bases for linking the hare TO
its young lunar month being nocturnal In It's
habits. It's young being born with their eyes open
and the moon being called the open eyed: and q
superstition that the hare changed its sex annually.
Ing It's waxing period, when 1t was called the LORD
Of Light" and considered as the sign OF new LIE.
and feminine during the waning period la. 49,.
moon. and thus Indirectly with Easter. but the
deving into such realms makes one long for some-
thing tangible, definite exact and historical some-
foot Of a graveyard rabbit. killed at midnight In the
dark OF the moon by crosseyed coored gentleman.
TO bring unceasing good luck to It's po.sessor.
To seek the reason for this wonderful power on
the part Of the rabbits foot would again involve ono
in intermnable mythology suffice It to say that
in the old hieroglyphics the leg or hind quarter
fed evil. To II signifies. naturally the triumph
over evil. All the other conditions which are now
necessary 70 endow the taisman with power are
later accretons only strengthening the original
mythical significance.