The rabbit was the symbol for the goddess, Estre. Pagans used to worship Estre, durring their welcome to Spring celebration. Early missionarys, had the idea of combining the pagans celebration with the celebration of the resurection of Christ, which occured about the same time. This helped to ease the pagans into the Chrisitian beliefs. Eventually, the name Easter, was derived from the goddess' name. Eggs are a symbol of rebirth. They were exchanged for the celebration of Spring for centuries, even before Easter was celebrated. They were often colored by boiling them with leaves and berries. Links Easter