display

When the winter jacket is put in the closet and the Easter eggs decorate the garden, then we know: It's Easter time.

For many, the festival this year is different than usual due to the corona. No egg hunt with the family.

A meeting with friends to eat chocolate bunnies and drink eggnog is also canceled.

And Easter bonfires are also prohibited.

In order to put you in the Easter mood anyway, we have compiled these curious facts about the festival:

I. The most expensive Easter bunny in the world cost a mere € 46,400

It took British star chocolatier Martin Chiffers two full days to model and finish the chocolate bunny.

The five kilo handcrafted animal was made from a rare Tanzanian chocolate and was sold by the luxury website VeryFirstTo in 2015.

A special highlight were the two round cut diamonds as eyes and the gold-plated eggs next to him.

Whoever indulged in the expensive piece: There was initially no rush to consume the 500,000 calories, because according to the manufacturer, the rabbit should be edible for up to two years.

Expensive luxury with spoons

Source: pa / dpa / James Tye

II. The Christmas song Last Christmas is an Easter song - supposedly

display

Originally the most famous Christmas hit was supposed to be released on Easter 1985 under the title

Last Easter

- but George Michael and his management decided against it.

They preferred publication on December 15, 1984.

Because there were only a few days left before Christmas, they renamed the song, which only became a cult hit a few years later, as

Last Christmas

.

At least that is what one persistent rumor has it.

The Sony record company does not know anything about this, and George Michael has never commented on it.

Even stranger: this rumor only circulates in Germany.

No one has heard of it in the country of birth of George Michael, Great Britain.

Source: Getty Images / Westend61

III.

What the rabbit and the chick have to do with Easter

Easter without the Easter bunny?

Unthinkable!

And for good reason: In spring, the long-eared ears are particularly common in fields and gardens, which is why children are often told that a rabbit has hidden the eggs.

Since the reproductive animals give birth several times a year, they are - who would have thought - a pre-Christian symbol of fertility.

The chick that breaks its shell and comes to light is symbolic of Jesus Christ, who also rises from the dark.

IV. Why children should believe in the Easter Bunny

display

Children start to believe in the Easter Bunny when they are three years old on average.

Seeing their parents as a trustworthy source, they have no doubt about the statement that the Easter Bunny is hiding the eggs.

Scientists advise parents not to deprive their children of the illusion at an early age, so that the child's enthusiasm is maintained and the imagination is stimulated.

In addition, the children in kindergarten would look bad and maybe even be bullied if they tell their friends that the Easter Bunny does not exist.

V. Are the chocolate Easter bunnies the old, unsold chocolate Santa Clauses?

The myth that the unsold chocolate Santa Clauses are melted down into Easter bunnies persists.

However, the hygienic risks would be far too great to take back delivered food and process it again.

That is why German food law prohibits melting the chocolate Santa Clauses.

Chocolate bunny lovers can take a deep breath.

Source: Getty Images / Martin Poole

VI.

One in five does not know why Easter is celebrated

Although Easter is probably the best-known Christian festival next to Christmas, a representative survey by a program guide showed that 22 percent do not know why Easter is celebrated.

One in five respondents were unaware that the resurrection of Jesus is the reason for the festival.

Five percent even thought that the beginning of spring would be celebrated at Easter.

Source: Getty Images / Cultura RF

VII. Chocolate Easter Bunny beats Nicholas

display

Nobody benefits as much from the popularity of Easter sweets as the confectionery industry.

Depending on how late the Easter festival is celebrated, more than 200 million rabbits are produced annually in Germany.

About half of it is exported, mainly to the USA and Australia.

Thus, the chocolate bunny replaces the chocolate Santa Claus at the top of the most popular seasonal sweets.

This is mainly due to the fact that the chocolate Santa Claus has to assert itself against greater competition such as speculoos and cookies.

Ah, there was something else with the Illuminati.

Sorry, of course they have nothing to do with it.

But if you're already here, we want to know about you:

This article was first published in April 2017.