HOW DID THE EASTER BUNNY COME ABOUT??

THE ORIGIN OF THE EASTER BUNNY CAN BE RELATED TO PAST LITERATURE AND CULTURE.IT TRACES BACK TO THE 13TH CENTURY,PRE-CHRISTIAN GERMANY,WHEN PEOPLE WORSHIPPED MANY gods AND goddesses.THE TEUTORIC DIETY EOSTRA WAS THE goddess OF SPRING AND FERTILITY.FEASTS WERE HELD IN HER HONOR.HER SYMBOL WAS THE RABBIT BECAUSEOF THE ANIMALS REPRODUCTION RATE.SPRING ALSO SYMBOLIZED NEW LIFE,REBIRTH.EGGS WERE ALSO A SYMBOL OF FERTILITY.IN THE 15TH CENTURY WHEN ROMAN CATHOLICISM BECAME THE DOMINANT RELIGION IN GERMANY THEY MERGED THE IDEA OF THE EASTER EGGS REPRESENTING JESUS RESURRECTION.WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN INGRAINED BY PAGAN BELIEFS.THESE LEGENDS ABOUT THE EASTER BUNNY CAME TO THE USA IN THE 1700'S WHEN GERMAN IMMIGRANTS SETTLED IN DUTCH COUNTRY PA.