Caution: Do not read any further if you believe in the Easter Bunny, Santa, or tooth fairy. Instead,  go home, have a nice chat with your parents and then read this article.

In third grade, my friend Olivia and I were on a mission: to catch the Easter Bunny. Our plan was solid, an all night stake out and a camera to carry the proof. All we really wanted was to discover the Easter Bunny’s identity. We had narrowed it down to three possibilities. We were smart enough to know it surely could not be a little bunny; it would be too small to get to every house without a sleigh like Santa. Therefore, logically, it was an extremely large rabbit, like the ones at the mall. Makes sense, right? Second possibility: It was actually humans. Our theory was there was a human spy network that kept the Easter bunny alive by anointing a person in each town to carry out the duties of the Easter Bunny. And last but not least, the most illogical idea: our parents.

After Olivia and I finalized the last details of the plan, I went home, excited to tell my parents. It ended up that my parents had a few things to tell me. That day might have been the saddest in my life. The Easter Bunny, Santa, and Tooth Fairy basically died. The only magic left in the world was Disney. And I now had trust issues.

Even though the literal Easter bunny is not a thing, the mythical Easter bunny is. To be honest, I have no idea where the legend came from. Everybody knows the story of Saint Nick; yet the Easter bunny is acknowledged but never questioned. So I have decided I will be the one to share it with you. Just let me Google it real quick.

After thorough research (don’t worry I did not use Wikipedia), I have found the Easter Bunny’s origin. The tradition of the Easter Bunny started around 1700 in Pennsylvania. German immigrants carried over the belief of an egg-laying rabbit called “Oschter Haws.” Sounds kinda scary if we are being honest. Legend had it Oschter Haws left colorful eggs for good children. If children would leave him out a “nest,” he would lay eggs in it.  Nowadays the tradition has evolved to leaving out cute Easter baskets that in the morning are loaded with goodies. I might have been disappointed when I was younger to learn there was no magical rabbit. But as I have gotten older, I have realized how blessed I am to have people in my life that make life magical.