Croatia Post celebrates the upcoming Easter – one of the most important religious holidays – with a bright and colorful stamp featuring a cute-looking bunny amongst the beautiful flowers. Many legends and beliefs, both Christian and pagan, are associated with this animal. The stamp was designed by Alenka Lalić and illustrated by Sanja Rešček Ramljak.
The Easter Bunny is a traditional symbol of Easter for Western Christians but is not typical of Orthodox Christianity. According to scientists, the association of rabbits with Easter goes back to ancient Germanic traditions. The ancient Germans, who were still pagans at that time, honored the goddess Oster. On the days of the vernal equinox, a special holiday was held in her honor. The rabbit was the goddess's helper that symbolized fertility. The Oster cult was widespread among the Anglo-Saxons, the persistent association of rabbits or hares with the Easter holiday was entrenched in their folklore already in the 19th century.
See also other Easter stamps.
