What’s all the fuss with the Easter Bunny and why does the Rabbit pop up in pubs?
- Elizabeth Bailey
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
Almost every book I write features a pub at some point. Every village had at least one. Every town had several, including coaching inns. Inevitable then that my characters would fetch up at a pub, often at more than one. I haven’t counted, but I’m pretty sure every Lady Fan Mystery has at least one scene set in a public house.
Which is of course the origin of the short form “pub”. It wasn’t a term in use in the Regency era. They were known as inns or taverns. No one referred to them as their “local”, but the village inn was where men gathered. Although there might be a barmaid or a landlady working there, women, especially those of the genteel class, would enter an inn only accompanied by a male escort. Otherwise, their status would be called into question and they could expect dismissive treatment. Along with many authors, I’ve used that trope before.
If you are au fait with Lady Fan, you will notice Ottilia certainly wouldn’t enter a tavern without either Francis or another male member of the entourage as escort. She often asks Francis to do whatever questioning is needed at places where women are not welcome, although she won’t hesitate to into them at need.
Although I love to use unusual pub names, I’ve never thought of one featuring rabbits. I may amend that in future as I found several rabbit pubs. The Fox and Rabbit Inn is rather splendid. But for my purposes, The Brown Rabbit (top) is a more likely prospect as it’s dated 1784. The Dead Rabbit is a trifle macabre, but The Rabbit Hutch is quite inviting and you have to love the idea of The Wild Rabbit and The Jack Rabbit. The Hare is definitely in with a chance.
What’s all this about the Easter Bunny then? A quick Google search gave me this AI generated explanation:
The origins of the Easter Bunny can be traced back to pagan traditions that predate Christianity. Many ancient cultures believed in a fertility goddess, often represented by a hare or rabbit. The hare was seen as a symbol of fertility and rebirth because of its ability to produce so many offspring.
Why eggs? I found this from Huffpost, written by Kari Henley
She writes: “According to the Encycolopedia Mythica:
"In ancient Anglo-Saxon myth, Ostara is the personification of the rising sun. In that capacity she is associated with the spring and is considered to be a fertility goddess. She is the friend of all children and to amuse then she changed her pet bird into a rabbit. This rabbit brought forth brightly colored eggs, which the goddess gave to the children as gifts. From her name and rites the festival of Easter is derived."
AI generation also gave me this:
Originally, hard-boiled and decorated chicken, duck, or goose eggs were eaten at Easter, not chocolate eggs. These eggs were a way to preserve eggs that were laid during Lent, a period when eating eggs was often prohibited. The tradition of decorating and exchanging these eggs, often dyed or painted, dates back to the early Christian church and evolved into more elaborate decorations over time.
I found this interesting because when I was growing up in Africa, we didn’t get chocolate eggs. We had hard-boiled eggs which were dyed in bright colours using food dye. I have no idea why, unless by a process of childhood magic, but those eggs tasted way better than ordinary boiled eggs!
Apparently, we turned to chocolate eggs quite late, as this little gem informs us:
“History of eating chocolate eggs:”
Leaving Easter aside again, why in the world did rabbits feature in pub names?
Google AI once again provided me with an answer:
Pub names containing "rabbit" often relate to the Middle English word for rabbit, suggesting a small tavern where rabbit stew might have been served. Additionally, animal names in pub names can also point to hunting activities, with some pubs aligning themselves with local hunts. In some cases, pub names might also be linked to local coats of arms or royal emblems, further adding to the rich history behind these names.
It would seem then that all our cute Easter Bunny cards, memes and adverts are not quite as daft as it first appears.
Vive l’oeuf chocolat!
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