Opening an Easter egg is like opening a present. It’s a surprise most people don’t expect, revealing something new. Most of us know Easter as the day with a bunny and children searching for eggs with candy and money inside. But how did Easter become a holiday? How does a day with small surprises become a day many countries celebrate? Easter is Christianity’s most important holiday, the day of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Because it is not like most holidays, which fall on a set date, Easter has been called a movable feast. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on Mar. 21. That is why Easter is observed anywhere in between Mar. 22 to Apr. 25.

As many of you may already know, the Easter Bunny is the prominent symbol of Easter. Rabbits are known to be prolific pro-creators, and they symbolize fertility and new life. Like Santa Claus leaving presents for children and children leaving him cookies, the fabled Easter Bunny comes around in the morning delivering chocolate, other types of candy, and gifts while the children leave out carrots for the bunny in case it’s hungry from all its hopping.

The custom of Easter eggs symbolize new life and originates from pagan traditions. Decorating Easter eggs has dated back to the 13th century and were decorated to mark the end of a period of penance and fasting.

Two popular Easter activities are Easter egg hunts and Easter egg rolling. As many of us know, Easter egg hunts are when children find hidden decorated eggs. In the U.S., there is the White House Easter Egg Roll, which is a race with children rolling their hard-boiled decorated eggs across the White House lawn. It is an annual event held the Monday after Easter and has been held since 1878.

Believe it or not, Easter is the second-best selling candy holiday after Halloween. Eggs have been long associated with Easter in symbolizing new life and Jesus’ resurrection. Following the many chocolate eggs and Easter jelly beans, the popular marshmallow Peeps introduced a new candy for Easter. The original Peeps were handmade, marshmallow-flavored yellow chicks. After the introduction of these sweet birds, many other shapes and flavors were later made, including chocolate mousse bunnies.

Although receiving an egg with candy inside is may not be as exciting as receiving a box with toys, Easter is still an important and fun holiday to celebrate. This year’s Easter will be landing on Apr. 16, so get your hard-boiled eggs ready!