Bunny is a newer Easter tradition
When did the Easter bunny become part of the Easter tradition?
The holiday was first observed hundreds of years ago to commemorate the rising of Jesus Christ from the dead, and it has gradually become associated with the themes of the renewal of life in nature and flowers. It was not until about the 18th century that the celebration included the Easter egg.
The egg has long been a symbol of eternal life, and decorating and hunting for eggs became part of the symbolism of the holiday.
During the early 18th century, the Pennsylvania Germans suggested that the Easter Bunny would hide eggs or put them in a hat left out overnight. That custom soon grew to using a basket to be filled with eggs, candy and fake grass.
By the 20th century, there were stuffedtoy Easter bunnies, porcelain figurines of bunnies and a German business making papiermache and cardboard
Easter bunny candy containers.
Holiday collecting is becoming more popular. Easter items include religious pictures and memorabilia, baskets and bunnies. Prices have gone down and up since 1980.
Q: My 39-year-old lead soldier toys are turning gray and then white, and they are covered with a white dust when kept in a box for a long time. How can I store them safely?
A: Your toy soldiers have “tin pest.” Years ago, all tin was made with impurities such as lead or other metals. This tin alloy was more stable than the nearly pure tin used in many electronic devices and in some tin soldiers. Cold weather turns the tin to “white tin,” which is brittle, and then it becomes “gray tin.” When stored in very cold temperatures, it turns into a powder called “powder pest” or “tin pest.” There is no cure if it is very cold.
Current prices Prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States.
■ Thimble case, egg-shaped, papiermache, turquoise blue with pink cherry blossoms, gilt highlights, silk lined, c. 1905, 1 x 2 inches, $25 ■ Sunbonnet Babies bonbon dish, Thursday Scrubbing, two girls cleaning, gold-tone center handle, triangular, c. 1910, 7 inches, $85
■ Watering can, Toleware, cream with brown and green cattails, tapered cylinder, dome base, top handle, 1800s, 10 inches, $150
■ Mandolin, wood with gilt designs, steel strings, serpentine top, American Music Co., 1800s, 22 x 13 inches, $240