It’s hard to imagine what a chocolate rabbit has to do with anything in the religious realm. I mean, we’re not complaining — It’s a deliciously adorable Easter treat enjoyed by millions across the globe. But it’s just that, well, how did a milk chocolate mammal become the unofficial symbol of Christianity’s spring holiday? According to Time, the origins of Easter can be traced back to the pagans who celebrated Eostre, the goddess of fertility. Of course, reproduction is what rabbits do best, so it’s fitting that Eostre’s animal symbol was a bunny. Fast forward to the eighteenth century. Christian holidays had long since taken favor over pagan holidays, but some of the symbols and imagery were reappropriated. Part of the tradition of the Easter holiday in Germany included the folklore of an egg-laying rabbit named “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” As Germans immigrated to the United States in the 1700s, so too…
How much sugar should you really allow your kids?
For kids, Easter morning means one thing — a big basket of candy. It’s a part of many childhoods — the egg dying, wearing your Sunday best, and biting ears-first into a giant chocolate rabbit. You try to limit your kid to just a few handfuls of jelly beans, but you turn your back for five minutes and they’ve devoured enough candy to fuel their whole year. While the candy-coma isn’t an actual medical condition, an excess of sugar and sweets can definitely take a toll on your child’s health. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), children shouldn’t have more than 3-6 teaspoons (12-25 grams) of added sugar per day. Eating too much sugar can actually make us crave more sugar, which can ultimately lead to everything from cavities, to obesity, and heart disease. In line with the AHA, the World Health Organization recommends that “free sugars” (sugars from…