We hope you are all enjoying your Easter break , getting out and about seeing the sights, Catching up with friends and family , having some well-deserved rest and relaxation, and of course eating lots of Easter Eggs!

But have you ever wondered …….?
Where does the Easter Bunny come from?

Legend has it, every year on Easter, a long-eared, cotton-tailed creature hop’s from house to house to deliver festive baskets full of treats and toys to children and even leaves colourful eggs hidden for them to find! but have you ever wondered where the idea of the Easter Bunny came from and how exactly the cute, fluffy woodland creature became such a prevalent symbol of Easter?
One theory, is that the symbol of the rabbit stems from the ancient pagan tradition on which many of our Easter traditions are based — the festival of Eostre, which honoured the goddess of fertility and spring. The goddess’s animal symbol was a rabbit, which have long traditionally stood for fertility due to their high reproduction rates.

As for how the character of the Easter Bunny became what it is today it is said that it was first introduced in the 1700s by German immigrants to Pennsylvania, who reportedly brought over their tradition of an egg-laying hare named “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws” from the Old Country. Legend has it, the rabbit would lay colourful eggs as gifts to children who were good, so kids would make nests in which the bunny could leave his eggs and even sometimes set out carrots in case the hare got hungry.  Eventually, the custom spread across America and then Europe until it was a widespread Easter tradition.

Enjoy your Easter Holidays and all those lovely Easter Eggs.

And remember you only have 1 Term left here in Ireland so make it one to remember and have fun!!!

We would love to see pictures of what you get up to over Easter and who knows maybe the best one will win a prize, so get clicking.

Winner announced in next weeks newsletter 

Hey all, have a look through the Easter Programme and lets us know what activities that you would like to join. It will be your last chance to get involved in ISI group activities before the end of term. So get your friends together and come enjoy the “Craic “.

Hope you enjoy the photos that were sent into us this week.

From the high school team.

Sarah, Melissa, Michelle, Maebh and Manlio