This Is Why We Eat br Chocolate Bunnies br for Easter .br Though Easter is br celebrated by Christians br remembering Jesus' br crucifixion and resurrection.br chocolate bunnies can be br found everywhere.br But according to the br 'Encyclopedia of Religion,' br "the Easter bunny has never received br any specific Christian interpretation.".br That's because much of the Easter bunny tradition is derived from Ostara, the Germanic pre-Christian fertility goddess.br The word "Easter" stems br from her name, and it is said thatbr she used to have a pet rabbit.br Her name spawned a fictional br character, Oschter Haws, a rabbit br who gave children eggs on Easter.br During the Industrial Revolution, br smooth, solid chocolate br was developed.br Meanwhile, Germany started br perfecting chocolate molds, including the form of rabbits.br It wasn't until the br late 1800s that the chocolate br bunny made its way to America.br One of the best-known first sightings was a br five-foot chocolate rabbit outside a drugstore br in Pennsylvania around 1890.