Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Friday, March 29, 2013
Easter Animal Guide
Do you know why the animal symbol for Easter is a rabbit? (Trick question: It's actually a hare.) Or why chicks and lambs are also associated with Easter? Have you ever heard about the association roosters have with this holy holiday? If not, click on the links below to learn more about the Easter animals.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
5 Things To Put In Easter Eggs That Aren't Candy
Easter is filled with many fun things, but perhaps none are so tantalizing to a child as the candy. Large chocolate rabbits sit in their Easter baskets. Jelly beans, marshmallow chicks and eggs in every conceivable candy form sit inside plastic eggs waiting to be discovered.
The candy. Oh, the candy! For kids, it’s a dream. For parents, the thought of all that candy, and the inevitable sugar crash that comes later, is a nightmare. To avoid the “too much candy” meltdown, here are five fun, non-sugary things you can fill their Easter eggs with.
The candy. Oh, the candy! For kids, it’s a dream. For parents, the thought of all that candy, and the inevitable sugar crash that comes later, is a nightmare. To avoid the “too much candy” meltdown, here are five fun, non-sugary things you can fill their Easter eggs with.
Figurines
Safari Ltd. has a lot of small figurine sets to choose from, but we like this Butterflies Toob (very Spring-y) and the Piglets & Bunnies Toob (for obvious reasons).
Puzzle Pieces
No need for the fun to stop once the egg hunt is over! Put several pieces of a puzzle in different eggs, then have your kids put together the puzzle when they've found them all.
Funny Band-Aids
Kids LOVE covering themselves in Band-Aids, whether they need them or not. And with these silly rainbow monkey and tattoo bandages, the worst scrapes and boo-boos won't seem so bad.
Fake Mustaches
Just cut apart the individual fake mustaches in this fun set to fit them in the eggs, and then laugh as your kids try on their new "looks".
Silly Bandz
Are kids ever going to get over their love for Silly Bandz? We think not. You're kids will love to find the Rock Star and Baseball sets in their eggs.
Do you have any other suggestions for fun, non-candy Easter egg items? Let us know about them in the comments section!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Easter Basket Gift Ideas
Looking for some fun treats to fill those Easter baskets? No need to search any further - The Jungle Store has everything you need for Easter. Check out some of our selection below!
And these are just a few of the great Easter gifts that we have available. Visit TheJungleStore.com to see our entire selection of rabbits, lambs, chicks and other animals!
From top left: Webkinz Lamb, Green Hello Kitty Beanie, Lil' Lamb Baby Costume, Lana The Flopsie Lamb, Plush Duckling Hand Puppet, Striped Easter Basket
From top left: Lil' Chickie Baby Costume, Plush Baby Rabbit Puppet, Fleecie Lamb, Duck Puppet, Yellow Hello Kitty Basket Beanie, Fleecia The Lamb Beanie
From top left: Cheery Cheeks Sunny Bunny, Lovely Baby Lamb, Chick Bell Bottoms, Plush Polka Dot Basket, Webkinz Blue Bunny, Quack Quack Duck
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Rabbits Vs. Hares
Though most people know him as the Easter bunny, this traditional originate with a hare. In the 18th century, German immigrants in Pennsylvania Dutch country began telling their children stories of the “Osterhas” or “Oschter Haws”, who would bring good children colored eggs as Easter gifts. In this case, “has” means “hare”.
So what’s the difference between a rabbit/bunny and a hare, you ask? Well, for starters, rabbits live underground in burrows and live in groups. Hares live in above ground nests, usually on their own.
Hares are generally bigger in size than rabbits, and have longer ears. Hares are also very fast-moving. And while rabbits have become common domesticated pets in America, hares are usually wild.
P.S. If you're a fan of rabbits, check out our great selection of stuffed and plush rabbits and bunnies!
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| Left: Hares, Right: Rabbits |
Hares are generally bigger in size than rabbits, and have longer ears. Hares are also very fast-moving. And while rabbits have become common domesticated pets in America, hares are usually wild.
P.S. If you're a fan of rabbits, check out our great selection of stuffed and plush rabbits and bunnies!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Why Are Lambs A Symbol Of Easter?
Do you know how lambs came to be associated with Easter?
In the book of Exodus the Israelites were told to sprinkle their doorframes with the blood of a lamb, thereby telling the Angel of Death to "Pass Over" their homes during the killing of the first born. This Passover Lamb became an important factor in Jewish life. Subsequently, when Jesus Christ came, he was called "the Lamb of God," and the sprinkling of His blood would take away the sins of the world. For Christians, the lamb symbolizes Christ, and there is no more important animal associated with the celebration of Easter.
Sheep were domesticated over 12,000 years ago. Some of the most ancient written recipes include lamb as an ingredient. Sheep have been prized as a productive commodity. We use their wool for clothing, their milk for cheese and butter, their skin for parchment, their lanolin for weather-proofing, and their lambs for food. They do not require as much pasturage as cattle and are easier to maintain. Cortez and his Spanish soldiers first brought sheep to the New World in 1519. In the 1800s, range wars between cattlemen and shepherds led to bloody conflicts in the American west. Although Americans don't eat much lamb, to the rest of the world, it is a dietary staple. Lambs and sheep are truly a significant part of our cultural history.
In the book of Exodus the Israelites were told to sprinkle their doorframes with the blood of a lamb, thereby telling the Angel of Death to "Pass Over" their homes during the killing of the first born. This Passover Lamb became an important factor in Jewish life. Subsequently, when Jesus Christ came, he was called "the Lamb of God," and the sprinkling of His blood would take away the sins of the world. For Christians, the lamb symbolizes Christ, and there is no more important animal associated with the celebration of Easter.
Sheep were domesticated over 12,000 years ago. Some of the most ancient written recipes include lamb as an ingredient. Sheep have been prized as a productive commodity. We use their wool for clothing, their milk for cheese and butter, their skin for parchment, their lanolin for weather-proofing, and their lambs for food. They do not require as much pasturage as cattle and are easier to maintain. Cortez and his Spanish soldiers first brought sheep to the New World in 1519. In the 1800s, range wars between cattlemen and shepherds led to bloody conflicts in the American west. Although Americans don't eat much lamb, to the rest of the world, it is a dietary staple. Lambs and sheep are truly a significant part of our cultural history.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Why Are Chicks An Easter Symbol?
Eggs, and thereby chicks, have been a symbol of Spring for thousands of years. The egg represents fertility, the chick represents new life. Christians adopted the egg into their Easter celebrations, using it to symbolize the rebirth one can find in Christ.
For a while, papal edicts banned the eating of eggs during the 40-day period of Lent that leads up to Easter. Of course no one told the hens, so there were plenty of eggs to use when the Lenten fast was over. Hard-boiling the eggs helped them last longer. How people came to color eggs is not known, but the tradition is very old. Ukrainians use a form of batiking called Pysanka to produce the colorful, intricate designs found on their Easter eggs.
Picture of Pysanka Eggs supplied by Luba Petrusha
For a while, papal edicts banned the eating of eggs during the 40-day period of Lent that leads up to Easter. Of course no one told the hens, so there were plenty of eggs to use when the Lenten fast was over. Hard-boiling the eggs helped them last longer. How people came to color eggs is not known, but the tradition is very old. Ukrainians use a form of batiking called Pysanka to produce the colorful, intricate designs found on their Easter eggs.
Picture of Pysanka Eggs supplied by Luba Petrusha
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Tale Of Easter Rabbits
Rabbits are not so much a Christian symbol of Easter as they are a harbinger of Spring. Pagan festivals of spring, or Eastre, were all about the growing fertility of the earth. Nothing spoke stronger to that than the prolific reproduction of the rabbit and hare. Did you know female rabbits can conceive a second litter while still pregnant with the first? Uffdah!
The Easter Bunny was brought to America by German settlers. They told their children the story of the "Oschter Haws," a magical rabbit who would hop by in the night and leave beautifully painted eggs. Children were encouraged to decorate their hats or bonnets like nests and leave them in sheltered places in the house or barn for the rabbit to fill. Americans were thrilled to adopt this tradition and, as we do, have expanded on it.
To see our great selection of Easter rabbits and other animals, click here!
The Easter Bunny was brought to America by German settlers. They told their children the story of the "Oschter Haws," a magical rabbit who would hop by in the night and leave beautifully painted eggs. Children were encouraged to decorate their hats or bonnets like nests and leave them in sheltered places in the house or barn for the rabbit to fill. Americans were thrilled to adopt this tradition and, as we do, have expanded on it.
To see our great selection of Easter rabbits and other animals, click here!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Roosters And Easter
Easter is almost here. There are many symbols and traditions that surround this most holy of Christian holidays. Now until Sunday, we'll be looking at the significance of Animals in the holiday.
The Rooster is placed on the steeple of churches in The Netherlands instead of a cross. Peter denied Christ three times before the rooster crowed. Therefore the rooster is used to remind Christians not to deny Christ.
Roosters are smart, strong and aggressive birds. They truly will "rule" a barnyard, perching in a central, elevated place to keep careful watch over their hens and nests. If danger is sighted, the rooster will sound a loud alarm and then confront the interloper, prepared to fight. Fights to the death among roosters are not uncommon. Why do roosters crow at dawn? The same reason they crow at other times of the day or night. They are letting all other roosters know that this is their territory and it is best to keep away!
The Rooster is placed on the steeple of churches in The Netherlands instead of a cross. Peter denied Christ three times before the rooster crowed. Therefore the rooster is used to remind Christians not to deny Christ.
Roosters are smart, strong and aggressive birds. They truly will "rule" a barnyard, perching in a central, elevated place to keep careful watch over their hens and nests. If danger is sighted, the rooster will sound a loud alarm and then confront the interloper, prepared to fight. Fights to the death among roosters are not uncommon. Why do roosters crow at dawn? The same reason they crow at other times of the day or night. They are letting all other roosters know that this is their territory and it is best to keep away!
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