when did the easter bunny start

The Easter Bunny’s modern tradition started in Germany and appears in written references by the 1500s , with the custom later brought to Pennsylvania by German immigrants in the 1700s.

Quick Scoop

The idea began as the “Osterhase” or Easter Hare, a folkloric egg-giving rabbit for well-behaved children.

Timeline

• 1500s: Early German references to the Easter Hare appear.

• 1700s: German immigrants helped introduce the tradition to Pennsylvania Dutch communities in America.

• Later on: The custom spread across North America and evolved into the Easter Bunny we know today.

Bottom line

If you mean “when did the Easter Bunny begin as a tradition?”, the safest short answer is: it traces back to German folklore in the 16th century and became established in America in the 18th century.