With Easter right around the corner, you are more than likely getting ready to engage in some traditions, including having an Easter basket. If you’re like most people, your Easter traditions are a mix of cultural and family actions that create memories and fun for all involved.

Your Easter traditions are probably incredibly special to you, but did you know that they might be based on things that people have been doing for centuries? If you were wondering about the history of Easter baskets and the Easter Bunny, here’s a look at where these ideas came from.

A Brief History of Easter Baskets and the Easter Bunny

Easter baskets and the Easter Bunny were brought to America in the 18th century by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. They brought the idea of the egg-delivering hare called “Osterhase” with them, along with the idea that children should prepare nests for the bunny to leave brightly colored eggs on Easter.

Eventually, the nests were replaced with Easter baskets, which were also tied into another ancient tradition. For centuries, Easter was marked with a large meal celebrating the end of Lent, a 40-day period during which many Christians abstained from certain foods or treats. On Easter Sunday, the meal was traditionally brought to mass in a large basket to be blessed.

Bringing food in baskets to be blessed wasn’t made up just for Easter, though. This act pre-dates Christianity with early farmers using the spring equinox – a time when day and night are of equal length and when winter ends and spring with its renewal and new life begins – as a time of prayer and blessing.

Ancient Hebrews, Arabs, Assyrians, and Babylonians celebrated the first seedlings of spring by bringing them in baskets to temples to pray for a good year of crops. Easter maintains its connection to these ancient rituals by being the Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

Chocolate and Easter Just Go Together

Easter is the second-bestselling candy holiday in America behind Halloween, and there is also the same amount of excitement for Easter as can be found at Christmas because children are excited to discover what gifts have been left for them by the Easter bunny.

Chocolate eggs are among the most popular sweets associated with Easter, in part because the egg has long been a symbol of rebirth and resurrection and an integral part of Easter celebrations worldwide. The most popular non-chocolate treat during Easter is the marshmallow Peep, which was first sold in the 1950s.

With chocolate being the king of Easter treats, modern Easter baskets for kids always strive to have that one surprise that adds a “wow” factor to Easter morning. At Chocolate Pizza Company, we have taken that challenge personally. Or rather, we have personalized that challenge with our six-ounce Easter Egg personalized with a child’s name.

This edible work of art has pastel-colored swirls dancing through gourmet milk or dark chocolate and the name scripted in white chocolate. This confectionery gem tells the lucky recipient that of all the Easter baskets out there, this one was made just for them.

But even personalized Easter baskets need a supporting cast, so we have added some extras, including a six-ounce box of chocolate-dipped classics such as potato chips and pretzels; a chocolate-covered rice crispy square with spring decorations; a pair of those famously popular marshmallow Peeps dipped in chocolate; and a spring decorated, chocolate dipped cookie.

All of these delectable treats are beautifully presented in Easter over-wrap with a bow, making this one impressive Easter basket. With our Easter basket delivery, you can have this chocolaty treat delivered right to your door.

Chocolate Pizza Company Has a History of Tradition and Excellence

Chocolate Pizza Company and owner Ryan Novak are proud to contribute their gourmet chocolate specialties to Easter baskets that can be shipped nationwide. Featured in Forbes, People and Entrepreneur magazines and on Food Network, CNBC, and the Hallmark Channel, Chocolate Pizza Company makes chocolate that is unique, delicious and impressive.

Skilled artisans make every holiday special with items tailored just for that season, including our Chocolate Pizza and Chocolate Pizza Slices, which are trademarked because they’re just that special! The same goes for our famous Peanut Butter Wings: crisp, rippled potato chips covered in creamy peanut butter and drenched in rich milk or dark chocolate. Check out all the Easter baskets and chocolate in our line-up, along with a host of other chocolate surprises.