LA WEB DE READING COMPREHENSION PREFERIDA POR LOS HISPANOHABLANTES

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EGG, BUNNY AND LILY: THREE ICONS OF EASTER

The Holiday Spot Website

Easter Egg
Myths coming down to us from an incredibly distant past have shown man's relationship with the egg to be a very deep seated one. This is caught in old Latin proverb: Omne vivum ex ovo ("all life comes from an egg").
Eggs were said to be dyed and eaten at the spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Persians of that time gave eggs as gifts at the vernal equinox.

But it is not very clear how those colored eggs have come in to dominate the Eastern countries. It is speculated that it was introduced in Europe, or, rather Western Europe, during the course of the fifteenth century. This was when missionaries or knights of the Crusades are thought to have brought in the concept of the coloring of eggs westwards.

Easter Bunny
These fictional animal that delivers Easter eggs has become the most favorite Easter symbol. It's universal and secular in its appeal. And, most important of all, it relates to Easter historically. However, one fact has got to be made clear. It is the hare, and not the rabbit, that should be treated as the true symbol of Easter. Though both of them belong to the rodent family and have most of things in common, there are some differences. 

Since the ancient times the hare has been a symbol for the moon. Not the rabbit. And the legend says, the hare never closes its eyes, not even for a single blink!
The reason for having such a belief may be rooted in the fact that hares are born with eyes open, and rabbits are born blind. The ancient Egyptians related hares to the moon.
Egyptian name for hare was 'un', meaning 'open'. And they were beloved to be watching the full moon opened eyes throughout the night. Also the hare and eggs were regarded to be emblems of fertility. And this fertility factor may hold the key in making rabbit more familiar as Easter symbol in America, as against the traditional hare (rabbits beat hares by being more prolific).

Easter Lily
In fact, these lovely white trumpet-shaped flowers trumpet lily have been enjoying a great favor in being included as a principal item for church decoration for quite some time. But its acceptance in America, as such, dates back around the 1800s. It came in with the rise in the Easter observances by the Protestants in America. And, strangely, it took some more time to find a widespread acceptance.

For, the early Americans those days were not used to seeing a lily waiting to be picked up for the Easter decor. The native American lilies, for example, the garden or Madonna lily, bloom in the early summer. Though it could be forced to bloom earlier using the hothouse conditions, the hassles associated did not allow it to be accepted widely. And custom did not find a widespread growth until a lily was imported.
In the 1880s, while in Bermuda, Ms Thomas Sargent became familiar with a beautiful lily that blooms naturally in springtime, and she brought its bulbs in back home in Philadelphia. There, a nursery man, called William Harris, fostered its popularity among other florists. Following this it did not take long for the flower to win the hearts of million to be the main flower of the Easter floral arrangements.
 

SOURCE: The Holiday Spot Website

GLOSSARY

a very deep seated one: from long ago (establecida desde hace mucho tiempo)
dyed: colored with dye (teñidos)
vernal equinox: March 21, the equinoctial point that lies in the constellation of Pisces (equinoccio vernal, de primavera)
knights of the Crusades: military expeditionaries in the 11-13th centuries when Christian powers of Europe tried to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims (los caballeros de las Cruzadas)
are thought to have brought in: are supposed to have brought in (se supone que han introducido)
secular
: concerning those not members of the clergy (laico)
hare: timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit (liebre)

not even for a single blink: with no eye blinking (ni siquiera un ínfimo parpadeo)
blind: unable to see (ciegos)
related hares to the moon: made a logical or causal connection between hares and the moon (relacionaban las liebres con la luna)
regarded: considered (considerados)
beat
: are superior (les ganan a las)
trumpet-shaped: with the shape of a trumpet (atrompetadas, con forma de trompeta)
dates back around
: appeared in (data aproximadamente de)
bloom: produce or yield flowers (florecen)
hassles: annoyances (molestias)
fostered: promoted (promocionó, divulgó)
it did not take long: not a very long time went by (no pasó mucho tiempo)

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