Further Antedating of "Easter Bunny"

[Shapiro, Fred]

Easter bunny (OED 1900)

1890 _Minneapolis Journal_ 7 Apr. (firstmention.com)  A rabbit foot makes a doubly appropriate favor, for the Easter bunny is a famous personage at this season of the year.  Rabbits of spun sugar or ice, candy eggs of every shade and color and clear candy chickens will all appear at some time during the Easter season.

Fred Shapiro





Quite possibly, it was Baumbach’s book that brought the Easter Rabbit to a widespread audience in the US, and in a few short years it was both well-known, and beginning the transformative process into the Easter Bunny, who had its FirstMention in the April 7, 1890 Minneapolis Journal.

[http://www.firstmention.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/easter-bunny-minneapolis-j-04-7-1890.jpg]<http://www.firstmention.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/easter-bunny-minneapolis-j-04-7-1890.jpg>

And from there, it was only a short hop to….mmmmmm…. Just Born Marshmallow Peeps.

- See more at: http://www.firstmention.com/easterbunny/#sthash.JuQawzgz.dpuf

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org