Decorated Easter eggs / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

10 Surprising Easter Facts You Probably Don't Know

Easter is one of the world's most widely celebrated holidays, yet its history is full of unexpected connections — from political uprisings to pretzel origins, and from a remote Pacific island to the billion-dollar candy industry.

2026351 viewsPublished Apr 4, 2026 Updated Oct 9, 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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