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Restrictions apply. See site for details. The

1:00

example that comes to mind is... That

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feeling when Copilot gets everyone up to

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speed instantly? It's sunny again. When

1:08

Copilot simplifies complex data so your

1:11

teams can act, that sun's shining on a

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beach. And when Copilot uncovers

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hidden insights, you're on that beach.

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With your people. And you find buried

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treasure. That's Microsoft Copilot.

1:23

Learn more at

1:25

microsoft.com/AI4ALL. Welcome

1:29

to Get Sleepy. Where

1:32

we listen, we relax

1:36

and we get sleepy.

1:40

My name's Thomas. Thank

1:43

you so much for tuning in. The

1:48

holiday of Easter is one celebrated

1:50

in various ways by

1:52

people around the world. For

1:56

many, although not all, there

1:58

are some whimsical traditions. traditions that

2:01

have evolved alongside more

2:03

religious ones. One

2:06

of those is the presence of

2:09

the iconic Easter Bunny. This

2:13

jolly character is associated

2:15

with numerous themes and

2:17

traditions, and it

2:19

also seems to bring eggs. But

2:23

where did this funny rabbit first

2:25

come from? And

2:28

what was its journey to becoming

2:30

a hollow chocolate treat found

2:32

inside millions of festive

2:34

baskets each spring? As

2:39

it turns out, there are many

2:41

theories on this topic, and

2:44

they go back hundreds, even

2:46

thousands of years. We

2:49

won't find any simple answers tonight,

2:52

but we're ready to take you

2:55

hopping down the twisting paths of

2:57

history in search

2:59

of some possibilities. This

3:03

sleepy history was written by

3:05

Alicia Stephan, and I'll

3:07

be reading it to you. Before

3:12

we hear our story, I want

3:14

to tell you about Get Sleepy Premium.

3:17

It's our supporters subscription, where you can

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enjoy over 700 full length stories and

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and everything is

3:32

completely ad-free. Plus,

3:34

every single Thursday, we release

3:37

an exclusive bonus episode for

3:39

our premium subscribers, like

3:42

tomorrow when TK will be

3:44

telling the story of a

3:46

relaxing afternoon fishing in a

3:48

stream in the Great Smoky

3:50

Mountains. So,

3:53

if you'd like to enjoy the best sleep

3:55

of your life, give Get

3:57

Sleepy Premium a try. The

4:00

first seven days are free and

4:02

you can cancel any time. For

4:05

more information on all of

4:07

our plans, visit getsleepy.com/support or

4:10

just follow the link in

4:12

the show notes. Thank

4:15

you all so much. Now,

4:23

as you're relaxing to bed, feel

4:26

free to take a few deep

4:28

breaths at your

4:30

own pace. With

4:36

each breath, sense

4:38

your body sinking a

4:40

little deeper into

4:43

the mattress. Let

4:48

any troubles, worries,

4:51

disruptive thoughts just

4:55

fall away and

4:59

enjoy this quiet moment free

5:02

from any responsibilities and

5:06

free of burden. There

5:11

is no pressure whatsoever.

5:17

No pressure to get things done. Neither

5:21

is there any pressure to

5:24

fall asleep. Just

5:29

allow your conscience to

5:31

be free, released

5:34

from any tasks or

5:37

responsibilities. If

5:43

thoughts pop into your head as

5:46

they inevitably do, just

5:49

let them drift on

5:51

by. Enjoy

5:56

the familiarity and comfort of the

5:59

world. this moment, the

6:04

softness of your supportive bed,

6:08

the stillness of the

6:10

space around you, and

6:15

particularly if you're a regular listener,

6:18

the sound of my voice by

6:21

your side. And

6:27

as your mind gradually

6:29

accepts that it has

6:31

no responsibilities right now,

6:36

you can allow your imagination

6:39

to guide you through

6:41

our fascinating story. Be

6:47

ready to enter the world of

6:49

chocolates, rabbits, and

6:52

folklore, and

6:54

learn all about the

6:56

Easter Bunny. This

7:01

is where our story begins.

7:31

As people prepare to celebrate

7:33

the holiday of Easter across

7:35

the globe, many

7:38

parents are planning some

7:40

special touches for

7:42

the youngest members of the family.

7:47

In numerous countries, perhaps

7:50

the most prominent hallmark of the

7:52

Easter holiday is its

7:55

informal mascot, The

7:58

Easter Bunny. This

8:02

famous rabbit makes an

8:05

appearance sing countless ways.

8:09

It's featured in television

8:11

programs and movies. It

8:15

appears that events in

8:17

a big fairy costume.

8:22

Most of all, It

8:24

features prominently. In

8:26

the sweet guests that

8:28

appear in many Easter

8:30

baskets. To

8:35

give you an idea of the scope.

8:39

Nowadays, over ninety

8:41

million chocolate Easter

8:43

bunnies are created

8:45

each year. Some.

8:49

A solid through and through.

8:52

Summer. Sale twist Caramel. Others

8:57

a holiday, Going

8:59

for size rather and

9:01

density. Exactly

9:06

how these bunnies first

9:09

became associated with Thanks

9:11

is something of a

9:13

mystery. Although

9:15

there are many theories,

9:20

You might wonder which

9:22

kings past. The

9:25

Bunny or the egg. The

9:30

tree says. Nobody

9:32

really knows. But

9:35

our quest for an answer? Would

9:38

take us on a fascinating

9:40

trip through history. Mess.

9:43

And Fight Club. Before

9:49

embarking upon a search for

9:52

the first a Step Bunnies.

9:55

it's important to point out

9:57

that history seems to consider

10:00

hairs, rabbits and

10:03

bunnies fairly

10:05

interchangeably. But

10:09

there are actually biological

10:11

differences between hairs

10:13

and rabbits. Hairs

10:18

tend to be larger, with

10:21

longer ears and bigger feet

10:24

than their counterparts. They

10:28

also live differently, keeping

10:31

above-ground nests in pairs

10:35

or by themselves. Meanwhile,

10:40

rabbits live in underground

10:42

warrens in larger

10:45

groups. Nonetheless,

10:52

these two members of

10:54

the taxonomic order Lagamorpha

10:57

have been treated nearly the same

11:00

in myth and folklore. Some

11:05

of the first evidence of that

11:07

legacy can be found

11:09

as far back as

11:11

6th century China. Although

11:17

mythology about hairs probably

11:20

existed even earlier, this

11:24

is the place where we

11:26

can begin to trace the

11:28

fascinating mystery of

11:30

a very important symbol called

11:34

the three hairs. In

11:41

your mind's eye, picture

11:43

three of these furry animals

11:47

running in a tight circle, nose

11:50

to tail. They

11:54

are in profile and

11:56

their ears extending into the

11:58

center of that circle are

12:02

forming a triangle. Even

12:08

though each individual hair appears

12:10

to have its own proper

12:12

pair of ears, the

12:16

animals are arranged such

12:18

that each of the three shares

12:20

in here with the hair next to it,

12:24

which creates that triangle.

12:30

This makes a neat optical

12:32

illusion, three

12:35

ears total, even

12:38

though each hair appears

12:40

to have two. The

12:46

oldest place where this symbol

12:48

has survived is

12:50

a Buddhist holy site called

12:52

the Danghuang Caves, which

12:56

date to the Sui Dynasty in

12:59

the sixth century. If

13:05

you are wondering why a Buddhist

13:07

site features in a discussion of

13:09

the East Abani, you

13:12

have already pinpointed the

13:14

delightful mystery of the

13:16

three-hairs symbol. This

13:21

easily identifiable picture

13:24

somehow spread across nations

13:26

and continents, appearing

13:29

in the iconography of

13:32

many different religions in

13:35

various contexts. For

13:40

example, the same

13:43

visual has been found on

13:45

9th century artefacts from

13:48

Syria, Egypt

13:50

and Pakistan. It

13:54

appears on Mongol metalwork and

13:58

was pictured on a coin in the in Iran

14:01

that dates to 1281.

14:06

The three hairs can also

14:08

be seen in Islamic reliquaries

14:10

from Russia that

14:12

were made during the same period.

14:18

So, how did this

14:20

happen? Most

14:24

historians theorize that the symbol

14:27

of the three hairs, beginning

14:30

in China, then

14:32

spread throughout Asia and Europe

14:35

via trade along the

14:38

famous Silk Road. This

14:43

may have happened due to

14:45

the icon's frequent appearance on

14:48

ceramics. Nobody

14:51

is entirely sure. But

14:56

the symbol travelled as far

14:59

as northern Germany and

15:01

England, where

15:03

it became a common sight in

15:06

Christian churches. And

15:09

that is a surprise twist in the

15:12

story, considering that

15:14

it seems to have started as a

15:17

Buddhist icon. But

15:22

the crossing of religions was

15:25

not finished. The

15:28

three hairs symbol has

15:30

also been found in 17th and

15:34

18th century wooden synagogues

15:38

in the Ashkenaz region in

15:40

Germany, as

15:42

well as other places. These

15:47

have been in both ornamental

15:49

and ceremonial positions,

15:53

indicating that the

15:55

three hairs served as

15:57

more than decoration. An

16:03

old German riddle pays

16:06

homage to the symbol with

16:08

these words. Three

16:12

hairs sharing three ears,

16:16

yet every one of them has

16:18

two. How

16:24

could such diverse nations

16:26

and religions all

16:28

adopt the same symbol? While

16:33

it is not really known what

16:35

the geometric trio represented

16:38

for individuals of these cultures,

16:42

it does seem likely that

16:45

each religion infused it with

16:47

its own meaning. Others

16:53

suggest that in the oldest

16:55

cultures, hairs were

16:58

closely linked to the moon. Many

17:03

people have insisted that

17:05

imaginative stargazers might

17:08

see the image of a rabbit on

17:10

its surface, and

17:13

nobody can say for sure if

17:16

that was the source of this

17:18

connection. But

17:22

the idea of a hair that gazes

17:24

at the moon, or

17:26

inhabits the moon, proliferated

17:29

a very long time ago

17:32

across the visual cultures of

17:35

countries like China, Japan,

17:38

and Korea. There

17:44

is a Taoist story about

17:46

a moon-dwelling rabbit who

17:48

pounds together an elixir

17:50

of life. Many

17:54

miles away, North

17:56

American and Central American

17:58

cultures similarly

18:00

created tales that

18:03

connected rabbits to the

18:05

orb in the night sky. Throughout

18:11

all of these independent

18:14

traditions, there

18:16

are certainly some common threads.

18:20

Hairs and rabbits were honoured

18:23

creatures who

18:25

were synonymous with celestial

18:27

powers. Further,

18:31

the cyclical nature of the moon

18:34

linked them with the concept

18:37

of rejuvenation and

18:39

rebirth. Perhaps

18:44

it has at this juncture let

18:47

the fascination with rabbits and

18:50

their powers of multiplication began.

18:57

Both are estotal, whose

19:00

writing dates to around 300 BCE,

19:02

and Pliny the Elder, writing

19:07

later in the first century

19:10

CE, interested

19:12

themselves with the

19:14

rabbit's extraordinary fertility.

19:19

And as the symbol of

19:21

the three hairs spread across

19:23

Europe, it

19:26

seemed that Christians infused

19:28

rabbits with meaning that

19:30

was related to those

19:33

reproductive powers. There

19:38

were some great thinkers who

19:41

suggested that rabbits had

19:43

the power of immaculate conception,

19:47

reproducing entirely on

19:49

their own. As

19:53

such, medieval and

19:56

renaissance imagery in Europe

19:59

often wrapped presented them alongside

20:02

the Virgin Mary. But

20:08

rabbits are also found

20:10

alongside Venus in some

20:12

images, indicating

20:15

a link with the Goddess

20:17

of Love. The

20:20

Greeks played a part in this

20:23

association as well. Rabbits

20:26

were sacred to their own

20:28

Goddess of Love, Aphrodite,

20:33

and Eros was often depicted

20:36

carrying a rabbit himself. It

20:42

seems that there were competing

20:45

reputations for hares and rabbits.

20:50

On one hand, they were

20:52

pristine and immaculate.

20:56

On the other, they were

20:58

associated with romance and

21:01

regeneration. Perhaps

21:06

due to the more angelic

21:08

association with the Virgin Mary,

21:12

it seems the symbol of the

21:14

three hares began to

21:16

be linked with the Holy Trinity.

21:20

At least, that's one theory.

21:27

One area of Northern Europe

21:29

with a large number of

21:31

surviving examples was

21:33

Devon in England, where

21:36

the three hares were found

21:39

in numerous churches. Devon

21:43

happens to be an area that

21:45

was rich in tin mining, and

21:49

these icons came to be

21:51

called Tinners Rabbits in the

21:54

region. Some

21:57

experts suggest that the name indicates the

21:59

name. indicates patronage. Tin

22:03

mining generated wealth, and

22:07

the rabbits may have been used

22:09

as a sign of monetary support

22:11

for the church. However,

22:16

the images also appear in

22:19

the stained glass and floor

22:21

tiles of churches that

22:23

were not at all related to

22:25

the mines. Therefore,

22:30

it seems like a weak link

22:32

to the tennis. Another

22:38

unanswered question is

22:41

this. How did

22:43

rabbits jump from being

22:45

general religious imagery to

22:49

having a starring role in

22:51

Easter traditions? There

22:55

are a few theories about

22:57

this transition, and

23:00

each has its compelling aspects.

23:06

One of the most popular theories was

23:09

set in motion by a monk

23:11

and scholar from the

23:13

Middle Ages by

23:16

the name of

23:19

Bede. In 731

23:21

CE, he

23:23

wrote of his theories connecting

23:25

the Anglo-Saxon goddess Istra

23:28

to the

23:30

Easter tradition.

23:33

At the time,

23:35

the month of April was

23:37

called Easter month in

23:40

England. Positioned

23:43

as it was in the calendar,

23:47

it coincided with other festivals

23:49

of the spring, commonly

23:52

observed by pagans. As

23:56

such, the venerable

23:58

Bede believed that

24:01

the goddess Istra had

24:03

become assimilated into the

24:06

Easter tradition, and

24:09

as it happens, the

24:12

goddess Istra was

24:14

often symbolized as a

24:17

hair. Recent

24:22

archaeological research has confirmed

24:24

that people were worshipping

24:27

Istra in parts

24:29

of England and Germany. Therefore,

24:35

many modern-day scholars assume

24:38

that the Istabani recalls

24:41

those pre-Christian celebrations

24:43

of spring, the

24:46

vernal equinox, and

24:49

Istra herself. As

24:55

tidy as this theory may be,

24:58

there are some problems with it. To

25:05

begin with, the writings

25:07

by Bede are the main link

25:09

to the now popular theory about

25:12

the connection of Istra and

25:14

her hair to Istra, and

25:18

it has also been pointed out that

25:21

Bede formed these theories from

25:23

a Christian perspective, without

25:27

first-hand experience of

25:29

Anglo-Saxon life. There

25:34

is also the fact that the

25:36

holiday is not called Istra in

25:39

every European country, but

25:43

in places like Spain and

25:45

France, the name

25:47

is derived from the Greek

25:49

and Latin word of Paschka

25:52

or Paschk for Passover.

25:57

This indicates no link with a

25:59

goddess. Named a Strike.

26:05

Among those historians who

26:07

don't adhere to Beats

26:09

writings. Some have

26:12

suggested at rapids what

26:14

their way into Easter

26:16

more directly. Without

26:18

to the goddess, he struck. Some.

26:24

Say that the tradition of

26:26

rabbits appearing at least. Is

26:29

connected to the practice of

26:31

scaring away which is. The.

26:35

Asset to do this

26:37

was part of numerous

26:39

European Spring traditions. A

26:45

mediaeval year up. Folklore

26:48

held that which is good

26:50

shape shift and to hands

26:53

and perform Miss Chief. Such.

26:56

As stealing milk from farm

26:58

is. More.

27:01

Serious say. It was believed

27:03

that a with a son

27:06

detect it. Could

27:08

take like sanitary from

27:10

unsuspecting people. As

27:15

such, Traditional celebrations

27:17

sought to punish the

27:19

which is of winter.

27:23

And this happened around her

27:25

time as Easter. For.

27:30

Example. People

27:33

in Germany lit what frescoed

27:35

and asked a fire. All

27:38

east a fire. One

27:43

in some regions, it

27:45

symbolized spring triumphing over

27:47

winter. A

27:50

novice. This was a bonfire.

27:53

Meant. To scare away which

27:55

is. In

27:58

Sweden. p The believe

28:00

to Act which is flew away

28:03

on their broomsticks at that time

28:05

of year. To. See:

28:07

stand dance on an

28:09

island. All

28:15

of this connection among

28:17

hands witches and pagan

28:20

celebrations. Provides.

28:22

Another possible explanation.

28:25

About the evolution of

28:27

our modern. Easter. Bunny.

28:34

However, Favoring that

28:36

works if beat Fairy

28:38

tale? no sign. Jacob

28:40

Grim popularized the string

28:43

theory in more recent

28:45

times. Making

28:47

it lead story. In

28:52

eighteen thirty size. He

28:54

wrote that The Stuff Hair

28:57

was connected to Eastern. And

29:00

he claimed that to the goddess. Was.

29:03

Named a star in the

29:06

German tradition. Not

29:11

long after, German

29:13

immigrant spic and sharing

29:16

their eastern traditions. In.

29:18

The United States. Seen.

29:23

The ubiquitous Bernie was

29:25

front and center for

29:27

Easter. And

29:30

Beats Theory became an

29:32

oft repeated truth. That

29:35

has established itself in

29:37

today's popular imagination. Cited.

29:41

And articles. As

29:44

settled fact. That

29:50

none of this really explains

29:52

why the Easter Bunny is

29:55

so closely connected. to

29:57

eggs The

30:01

most obvious explanation for

30:03

that mysterious link is

30:06

that eggs and the easter

30:09

hair were thrown together

30:12

because of plain old proximity.

30:17

It's no secret that the egg

30:19

has stood for new life since

30:22

ancient times. The

30:28

tradition of decorating eggs can

30:31

be traced back to cultures from

30:33

around the world, including

30:36

many Slavic countries. Scholars

30:42

suggest that some pagan beliefs in

30:45

that part of the world held

30:48

that the yolk of an egg represented

30:51

the return of the sun

30:54

at the end of winter. In

30:58

time, it seems

31:00

likely that Christians eventually adopted

31:03

the symbol of the egg

31:05

to represent rebirth in

31:09

accordance with stories about

31:11

Jesus. Even

31:16

as the associations with the

31:18

eggs changed over the years,

31:22

egg decorating in the Slavic

31:24

cultures spread. It

31:29

became an especially rich tradition

31:31

in Ukraine, where

31:33

the art is called poisanki.

31:39

It's unclear how old the

31:42

tradition of making poisanki is,

31:46

but the oldest surviving

31:48

example of poisanki using

31:50

actual eggs Dates

31:52

to roughly the 15th century.

32:00

Simply doing eggs and new

32:02

karma. As the family

32:04

is seven, many Western countries now

32:06

do. The artist

32:08

Poisson Key. Involves elaborate

32:11

draw rings. In

32:15

fact, The word

32:17

derives from the far post,

32:20

thirty. Which means

32:22

to right. And

32:24

it allows for a rich

32:27

variety of declarations to appear

32:29

on nice festive pieces. The

32:35

art can be floral

32:37

or geometric. Or.

32:40

Feature animals. These

32:43

representation is may differ from

32:46

one region to another. Ranging.

32:50

From. Amateurs as checks

32:52

to represent fertility. To

32:55

death. Representing. Strength

32:58

and Prosperity. In

33:04

fact, Some. Scholars suggest

33:07

that the link between Nice

33:09

a Half. And it's

33:11

pie Sankey style eggs. Began.

33:14

With Easter. Be.

33:18

Encyclopedia Massacre

33:20

explains. A

33:23

star. I is the personification

33:25

of the rising sun. She

33:29

is the friend of all children.

33:32

And to amused that. She

33:34

changed her pet bad into

33:37

I rabbit. This

33:39

rabbit brought forth brightly

33:42

colored tax. Which

33:44

the Greek goddess gave

33:46

two children as guests.

33:49

From her name and rights.

33:52

The festival is Easter

33:55

is derived. my

34:00

Whether or not it is really

34:02

linked to the stories about Easter,

34:05

the art of Ukrainian poisanki

34:08

eventually evolved from

34:10

being ritualistic to

34:13

also being decorative. The

34:18

artists in Ukraine began

34:20

to sell the eggs in markets

34:23

and they spread in popularity.

34:28

By the mid-19th century,

34:30

they had traveled to places

34:33

such as Vienna and

34:36

Budapest. Perhaps

34:41

deriving from the practice, people

34:44

of Russia's high society began

34:47

exchanging eggs as gifts

34:50

at about that time. These

34:55

were very elaborate, with

34:57

some actually encrusted with

34:59

jewels. Meanwhile,

35:08

by 1572, someone had

35:10

already recorded a specific link

35:12

between the Easter bunny and

35:15

the eggs. A

35:19

German text from the period advises

35:22

the reader, do

35:24

not worry if the Easter bunny

35:26

escapes you. Should

35:29

we miss his eggs, we

35:31

will cook the nest. A

35:35

hundred years later, another

35:38

text calls the Easter bunny an

35:41

old fable. It

35:44

appears he had been hanging around

35:46

his nest for a while. German

35:54

Americans are generally credited with

35:56

bringing the Easter bunny tradition

35:58

to the United States

36:02

as early as the 18th

36:04

century, and

36:07

their version of the character was

36:10

the one who laid eggs. They

36:14

called it the Osterhäuser, and

36:18

children would make the bunny nests

36:21

in which to put those eggs. Eventually,

36:29

real eggs were largely replaced

36:31

by candy, and

36:34

the nests were replaced with

36:36

baskets. Where

36:41

parents had already been stuffing

36:43

paper rabbits with treats, there

36:47

was now a way to merge

36:49

the sweets with the package

36:51

itself. It

36:54

became popular to turn the bunny

36:58

into an edible form. It

37:04

was this convergence of sweets

37:06

and the Easter bunny that

37:09

rocketed the rabbit to

37:11

true Easter stardom. Americans

37:16

did not invent chocolate

37:18

bunnies. In

37:21

fact, there are chocolate molds dating

37:24

back to about 1890 in Munich,

37:31

however, the bunnies

37:33

migrated. By

37:36

the late 19th century, sweet

37:39

shops in the eastern United

37:42

States were selling

37:44

rabbit-shaped candies. Their

37:51

true commercial success, however,

37:54

is generally credited to

37:56

an enterprising owner of a

37:58

drugstore. or pharmacy.

38:03

He was a first-generation

38:06

German-American man named

38:08

Robert Lincoln Strohecker. Mr.

38:14

Strohecker owned a business

38:17

in Reading, Pennsylvania, and

38:20

he had a genius idea

38:22

for promoting the chocolate bunnies

38:25

he was selling for Easter. He

38:31

contracted with W. H.

38:33

Luden Confectioner to

38:36

make a huge rabbit that

38:38

was five feet tall. This

38:43

chocolate behemoth would

38:46

have weighed as much as four

38:48

or five hundred pounds, and

38:51

according to a current industry

38:53

expert, it would

38:56

have cost about ten thousand

38:58

dollars today. If

39:03

the Luden name sounds familiar to

39:05

you, it

39:08

may be because they were eventually

39:10

best known for their

39:12

cough drops, but

39:14

the mark they made on the commercial

39:17

aspect of Easter was

39:19

also indelible. The

39:23

massive chocolate bunny was

39:26

one of their lesser-known achievements. The

39:32

legacy continued. Strohecker's

39:37

grandson eventually went

39:39

on to head up his

39:41

own sweet-making company, and

39:44

he has shared a photo of his

39:47

father standing next to

39:49

the enormous bunny. It

39:53

says a taller than the man

39:55

himself, the

39:58

pharmacy owner, smiles warmly at

40:01

the viewer from

40:03

a fading sepia image. Strahacker's

40:11

massive rabbit was so

40:13

successful that

40:15

his family eventually developed its

40:18

own lines of chocolate bunnies,

40:22

which they named after him. From

40:29

this moment in history, it

40:32

would be reasonable to say that

40:35

the popular treat was

40:37

unstoppable. A

40:42

1902 article in the

40:44

Reading Eagle newspaper notes

40:47

the rise of this

40:49

particular Easter tradition, citing

40:53

its growing popularity compared

40:56

to other Easter sweets.

41:03

By the 1920s, confectioners

41:05

were getting more playful and

41:08

creative with their bunnies. For

41:12

example, Ari

41:15

Rodda Candy Company offered

41:18

a rabbit playing a guitar

41:20

for fifty cents at that

41:22

time. Of

41:25

note, this is the

41:27

same company that went on to

41:29

create Peeps, the

41:32

iconic marshmallow, chicken rabbit

41:35

shaped candy still

41:37

being sold today. By

41:43

the 1930s, chocolate

41:45

bunnies were becoming even more

41:48

fun. A

41:51

large outfit called the Bortz

41:54

Company started

41:56

mass-producing chocolate bunnies.

42:00

With their efficient methods, they

42:03

had a little more flexibility

42:05

to try new things. As

42:10

such, the beloved rabbits

42:13

began to show personalities,

42:17

looking more like cartoon

42:19

characters, and

42:21

each possessing a unique name.

42:26

This led to children

42:28

requesting and collecting them more

42:31

often. Then,

42:37

world events interfered.

42:41

The march of the Easter Bunny was

42:44

briefly halted due

42:46

to wartime austerity measures

42:49

in 1942. That

42:55

year, the War Production

42:57

Board issued what

42:59

was known as Conservation Order

43:02

M145. It

43:07

stated that no

43:09

chocolate novelties, including

43:12

products manufactured in a special

43:14

shape, commemorating,

43:16

symbolizing, or

43:19

representing any holiday

43:21

event, person, animal,

43:24

or object could

43:26

be sold. In

43:31

issuing this rule, the

43:33

board further clarified that

43:36

American children would

43:38

contribute to the war program by

43:41

sacrificing chocolate Santa

43:43

Clauses, St.

43:45

Valentine's hearts, Easter

43:47

bunnies and eggs, and

43:50

other chocolate novelties. Previous

43:56

stockpiles of the chocolate treats

43:59

offered offered a short reprieve.

44:03

But by Eastern 1944, the stash ran

44:05

out. At

44:11

that point, parents were

44:14

having to substitute bunny-shaped pieces

44:16

of wax, soap,

44:18

and wood, or

44:20

plush dolls, in

44:23

order to make up for the

44:25

missing chocolate. Still,

44:31

the idea of the Easter bunny bravely

44:35

held his ground through

44:37

the restrictions. Luckily,

44:42

once the war years ended, chocolate

44:45

rabbits flowed off the

44:47

production lines once again, eagerly

44:51

finding their way into

44:54

Easter baskets for

44:56

decades to come. But

45:01

it's worth noting that

45:03

along the way, the

45:06

solid bunnies of the past gained

45:09

a new and less

45:11

expensive companion, the

45:14

hollow chocolate bunny. Although

45:21

these lightweight versions first appeared

45:23

in the late 1930s,

45:28

a returning World War II

45:30

veteran named Richard Palmer

45:33

may be most responsible for

45:36

advancing the trend. He

45:40

founded a chocolate company in 1948, and

45:45

was soon making a hollow Easter

45:47

bunny named Baby

45:50

Binks, which

45:52

he claimed was inspired By

45:55

his dog's rabbit toy. According

46:01

to Smithsonian Magazine,

46:04

He was reported as saying that

46:06

he leapt at the toy. And

46:09

thought. That is

46:11

kind of a whimsical personality.

46:15

By could make chocolate most to like

46:17

that. But

46:22

why hollow bunnies at all?

46:26

This topic is often been

46:29

disgusting. News articles. And

46:32

the general consensus is

46:34

that Follow Bernice offered

46:36

a greater perceived value

46:38

for kids. After

46:42

all, That baker a

46:45

bunny gets. The heavier

46:47

it will become. Too

46:50

much so, perhaps

46:52

unless it's empty

46:54

inside. Now

47:00

a days, the Easter

47:02

Bunny seems almost inseparable.

47:05

From. The Christian Celebration.

47:08

And it's fair to say

47:11

that it has spread throughout

47:13

popular culture as well. People.

47:19

Were the Easter Bunny as a

47:21

cost. They.

47:23

Feature it out! Most

47:27

of all, That. Money can

47:29

be found and nearly. In

47:32

countless Easter baskets, in

47:35

both splash and chocolate

47:38

form. As

47:43

noted earlier, Current

47:46

say. About ninety

47:48

million chocolate bunnies are

47:50

created each year. When

47:55

surveyed. Forty. Four

47:57

percent of parents cited

47:59

chocolate. bunnies or eggs as

48:02

the item they were most likely

48:04

to put in a child's basket.

48:10

This determination to fill

48:12

baskets with chocolate may

48:15

be self-serving though, as 81% of

48:18

those parents

48:21

also admitted to sampling treats

48:23

from the basket for themselves.

48:29

And the light-hearted Easter tradition

48:33

doesn't appear to stop with

48:35

childhood. 60%

48:39

of parents surveyed said

48:41

they planned to send Easter baskets

48:44

to their adult children after

48:47

they moved out. And

48:51

of course, 90%

48:54

of those baskets will have

48:56

chocolate or sweets in them.

49:02

But chocolate bunnies have

49:04

transcended even the basic

49:07

purpose of consumption. They

49:11

are also art and

49:13

jewellery. The

49:18

world record for the largest

49:20

chocolate bunny is

49:23

currently held by a team

49:25

from Brazil. In

49:29

2017, for an

49:31

event called Choco-Fast, artisans

49:35

created a bunny that

49:37

was 4.52 meters tall, over

49:42

2 meters wide, and

49:45

1.76 meters long. It

49:50

weighed about 9,000 pounds

49:54

and took five days to create.

50:01

One of the most expensive

50:03

edible bunnies, however, weighed

50:06

a mere 11 pounds.

50:11

Commanding a price

50:13

of $49,000, this

50:16

fancy rabbit was

50:18

created by an award-winning

50:20

chocolatier. It

50:24

was made of 75%

50:26

fine chocolate sourced

50:29

from Tanzania and

50:32

decorated in gold leaf. But

50:37

to be fair, a

50:39

large portion of its value came

50:42

from the diamond eyes placed

50:44

on its face. It

50:48

should be noted that the

50:50

eyes were perhaps not

50:52

the edible part. One

51:00

fine chocolatier took

51:02

advantage of its recognizable

51:04

gold foil-wrapped chocolate bunny

51:08

by turning it into a

51:10

limited edition jewellery offering. In

51:15

2015, Selfridges

51:17

in London offered

51:19

a bunny charm plated

51:22

in 18-carat gold. It

51:27

sold for 100 pounds and

51:30

came with a 500-gram

51:32

chocolate counterpart that

51:35

people could nibble on while

51:37

wearing their fancy bunny

51:40

necklace. As

51:46

we wrap up our long and

51:48

winding tale of the Easter

51:51

bunny, let

51:53

us return to our

51:55

age-old riddle from

51:57

the beginning of tonight's story.

52:03

A recent American survey

52:06

asked people, what

52:08

came first, the

52:10

Easter bunny or the

52:12

egg? 52%

52:16

of respondents said it was the bunny.

52:21

Of course, that leaves 48% who insist it

52:23

was the egg.

52:29

So, it does appear

52:31

that we will not soon

52:33

discover the real answer to

52:35

that question. When

52:40

Easter morning comes, there

52:43

are many countries with other

52:45

traditions that will

52:47

take precedence over the rabbit. Australia

52:52

has promoted an Easter bilby

52:55

since the late 1960s

52:59

in an effort to raise

53:01

awareness of an endangered marsupium.

53:06

French children will look for

53:08

flying church bells, and

53:12

the Swiss will talk of

53:14

an Easter cuckoo. The

53:18

list goes on, and

53:21

celebrations will vary. So,

53:28

to those who celebrate Easter,

53:31

whatever your tradition, we

53:34

hope your festivities and

53:37

your dreams are

53:39

as sweet as a

53:42

chocolate bunny. Thank

54:00

you. Thank

54:30

you. Thank

55:00

you. Thank

55:30

you. you

56:30

you you

57:30

you Thank

58:00

you. Thank

58:30

you. Thank

59:00

you. Thank

59:30

you. Thank

1:00:00

you. Thank

1:00:30

you.