24 fun Easter facts to surprise your family

Easter brings to mind egg hunts and chocolate bunnies, but it’s also filled with fascinating history, record-breaking feats, and unexpected traditions from around the world. Whether you’re celebrating with family or just love fun trivia, these 25 Easter facts will delight kids and parents alike.

1. Easter is the most popular candy holiday after Halloween

Americans buy more than 146 million pounds of Easter candy each year. This amounts to about $3 billion spent on candy each Easter. 

2. The world’s largest Easter egg weighed over 15,000 pounds

The biggest chocolate Easter egg was made by Tosca in Italy in 2011. The 34-foot-tall egg had a circumference of 64 feet at its widest point.

3. The tradition of dyeing eggs dates back thousands of years

Long before Easter, people in ancient civilizations like Persia and Egypt dyed eggs as a symbol of new life and rebirth. Early Christians later adopted the tradition.

4. The Easter bunny has German origins

The first mention of the Easter bunny comes from 17th-century Germany. Children made nests for the hare, called “Osterhase" in German, hoping it would leave eggs behind.

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5. Peeps were once made by hand, and took 27 hours per chick!

Now, Peeps are made in just six minutes, but when they were first created in 1953, each marshmallow chick had to be hand-squeezed from a pastry tube.

6. The world’s largest Easter egg hunt had over half a million eggs

A record-breaking 501,000 Easter eggs were hidden at a hunt in Florida in 2007, with 9,753 children joining the fun.

7. Americans eat 1.5 billion marshmallow Peeps each Easter

Peeps are made by Just Born Quality Confections in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and account for 70% of the company's annual revenue.

8. In Switzerland, Easter eggs are delivered by a cuckoo bird

Unlike the Easter Bunny, Swiss folklore says a cuckoo bird brings eggs to children.

9. Chocolate eggs date back to the early 19th century

The first chocolate Easter eggs were made in France and Germany in the early 1800s. The first UK hollow chocolate Easter egg was produced in 1873 by J.S. Fry & Sons. 

10. The White House Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878

President Rutherford B. Hayes started the annual tradition of rolling eggs on the White House lawn. Today, over 30,000 guests attend!

11. The most expensive Easter egg sold for $18.5 million

Created in 1902 by Fabergé as an engagement gift for Baron Edouard de Rothschild's fiancée, Germaine Halphen, the "Rothschild" Fabergé egg sold in 2007 to a private Russian bidder. 

12. Australians have an Easter bilby, not a bunny

Since rabbits are considered pests in Australia, many celebrate Easter with the Easter bilby, a native marsupial.

13. The tallest chocolate bunny ever made stood over 14 feet tall

The Brazilian chocolate sculpture of a bunny took nine people and eight days to build, weighing 9,359 pounds, standing over 14 feet tall, 7 feet wide, and 6 feet long.

14. Easter Sunday’s date changes every year

Easter follows the lunar calendar, meaning it always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.

15. Egg tapping is a competitive Easter game

Popular in parts of Europe and the U.S., players tap hard-boiled eggs together, and the person with the uncracked egg wins.

16. Jelly beans became an Easter favorite in the 1930s

Over 16 billion jelly beans are consumed each Easter, with cherry being the most popular flavor, followed by strawberry.

17. Easter lilies are a symbol of purity

White Easter lilies are often used in decorations because they symbolize renewal, hope, and purity.

18. In Bermuda, people fly kites for Easter

Bermuda has a tradition of flying colorful kites on Good Friday, symbolizing Jesus’ ascension to heaven. 

19. Some towns hold Easter egg races

In England, children roll Easter eggs down hills, while in Poland, people race eggs down rivers.

20. The UK’s largest Easter egg hunt takes place at historic castles

Each year, the National Trust hosts Easter egg hunts at over 250 castles, gardens, and parks across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

21. In Norway, people celebrate Easter by reading crime novels

Known as “Påskekrim,” Norwegians have a tradition of reading detective stories during the Easter holiday.

22. Some people in Finland dress up as Easter witches

Children dress up as Easter witches, or Trulli, and go door to door collecting candy, similar to Halloween trick-or-treating.

23. The largest hot cross bun weighed over 370 pounds

A bakery in South Africa holds the record for baking a massive 370-pound hot cross bun. Originally enjoyed on Good Friday, hot cross buns became a staple of Easter celebrations, symbolizing new life and rebirth.

24. Easter Monday is a national holiday in many countries

While not widely celebrated in the U.S., Easter Monday is a public holiday in countries like Australia, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and the UK.

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