10 Surprising Easter Facts Most People Don't Know (2026 Edition) — History Top 10 List

Decorated Easter eggs / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

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10 Surprising Easter Facts Most People Don't Know (2026 Edition)

From a 1916 Irish uprising to a $3 billion candy habit, Easter's history is wilder than most people realize. Vote for the fact that surprised you most — and see which one other readers picked.

2026173 viewsApr 4, 2026 Updated Oct 3, 2026

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#1
The 1916 Easter Rising Changed Irish History
On Easter Monday 1916, Irish republicans launched an armed insurrection against British rule in Dublin. Though the rising was militarily defeated within six days, the execution of its leaders galvanized Irish nationalism and led directly to the Irish War of Independence and eventual statehood.
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#2
Easter Island Was Discovered on Easter Sunday
Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen landed on the remote Polynesian island on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1722, and named it accordingly. The Rapa Nui people had inhabited the island for over 800 years and called it Te Pito o Te Henua — "the navel of the world."
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#3
Pretzels Were Originally an Easter Food
Medieval monks created pretzels as a Lenten food around 610 AD. The twisted shape was designed to resemble arms crossed in prayer, and the three holes represented the Holy Trinity. They were given as rewards to children who memorized their prayers during Lent.
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#4
Easter's Date Changes Because of the Moon
The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD decreed that Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. This means Easter can land on any date between March 22 and April 25, a 35-day range that has caused calendar disputes for centuries.
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#5
Americans Spend $3 Billion on Easter Candy
Easter is the second-largest candy-selling holiday in the United States after Halloween. Over 16 billion jellybeans, 1.5 billion Peeps, and 90 million chocolate bunnies are produced each year. Most Americans eat the ears of chocolate bunnies first.
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#6
The Easter Bunny Comes From German Lutherans
The Easter Bunny originated in 17th-century German Lutheran communities as "Osterhase" — an egg-laying hare that judged whether children had been good during Lent. German immigrants brought the tradition to America in the 1700s, where children made nests for the hare to fill with colored eggs.
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#7
Hot Cross Buns Were Once Illegal in England
In 1592, Queen Elizabeth I decreed that hot cross buns could only be sold on Good Friday, Christmas, and at funerals. The law aimed to preserve their religious significance. Bakers caught selling them at other times faced a fine, with all buns confiscated and given to the poor.
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#8
The World's Largest Easter Egg Weighed 7,200 kg
Created in Tosca, Italy in 2011, the world's largest chocolate Easter egg stood 10.39 meters tall and weighed over 7,200 kilograms. It required over 50,000 kg of chocolate. Meanwhile, the Pysanka Museum in Ukraine houses the world's largest collection of decorated Easter eggs.
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#9
Easter Was Banned by the Puritans
In the 1620s-1680s, Puritans in England and colonial Massachusetts banned Easter celebrations, considering them too pagan and Catholic. The holiday was not widely observed in America until after the Civil War, when it was gradually revived as a more secular, family-friendly celebration.
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#10
The Easter Parade Predates the Civil War
New York City's Easter Parade along Fifth Avenue dates back to the 1870s, when fashionable New Yorkers would stroll after church to show off their new spring outfits. The tradition was immortalized in the 1948 film Easter Parade starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Easter

Why does Easter's date change every year? Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, a rule set by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.

Where did the Easter Bunny tradition come from? The Easter Bunny originated in 17th-century German Lutheran communities, where a hare judged children's behavior.

Were hot cross buns really banned? Yes — in 1592, Queen Elizabeth I restricted the sale of hot cross buns to Good Friday, Christmas, and burials.

Why were Puritans against Easter? Puritans in England and colonial Massachusetts (1620s–1680s) banned Easter celebrations, considering them too tied to Catholic tradition.

What's the largest Easter egg ever made? A chocolate Easter egg weighing 7,200 kg, created in Tosca, Italy in 2011.

Common Questions About Easter

Why does Easter fall on different dates each year? Easter is calculated using the lunar calendar, falling on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. This is why Easter ranges from late March to late April.

Is Easter celebrated on the same day worldwide? Most Christian churches follow the traditional calculation, though some Eastern Orthodox churches use the Julian calendar, causing Easter to sometimes fall on a different date.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Easter called Easter when it is a Christian holiday?

The name 'Easter' is believed to come from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility, whose pagan festival coincided with the Christian celebration of the Resurrection.

How is the date of Easter determined each year?

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, which is why its date shifts between March 22 and April 25.

What is the historical origin of decorating Easter eggs?

Early Christians in Mesopotamia stained eggs red to symbolize the blood of Christ, and over time eggs became a symbol of the empty tomb and new life.

Where did the tradition of the Easter bunny come from?

The Easter bunny originated from German Lutheran traditions, where the 'Osterhase' (Easter hare) delivered colored eggs to well-behaved children, brought to America by German immigrants.

Why do people wear new clothes on Easter?

Wearing new clothes on Easter dates back to early Christian practices where newly baptized converts wore white robes, symbolizing their new life in Christ.