According to legend an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess of the spring named Eostre once saved a bird whose wings had frozen. She saved his life by turning him into a rabbit. Since the rabbit had once been a bird, it could lay eggs. That rabbit became the modern-day Easter bunny.
No one knows who started coloring eggs, but that tradition is ancient also. Greeks dye eggs red to signify the renewal of life in the spring. Some cultures use the color green for the new foliage of spring. Other cultures, including the United States, like pastel colors to represent the colors of the rainbow. According to another legend, only good children receive colored eggs, much like the idea of good children at Christmas.
The tradition of the Easter bunny was brought to America by the Germans, but it did not gain popularity until after the Civil War.
In the United States the Easter bunny is a large white rabbit that leaves baskets of treats and gifts much like Santa Claus at Christmas. Treats include Easter eggs, chocolate, candy, and small toys. Easter egg hunts are very popular with American children. Most Easter eggs now are made of plastic or chocolate candy.
