Painted eggs, newborn chicks, white lilies, new clothes, a lighted candle. All these stand for Easter just as angels and reindeer stand for Christmas, or witches and pumpkins for Halloween.

From place to place, the symbols of Easter may vary. But no matter where they are found, each has a story that reaches back hundreds, even thousands of years. Edna Barth traces the histories of these symbols in a clear, direct way, and shows how many of them were incorporated into Christianity from early pagan rites, then handed down to us as the colorful Easter customs we enjoy today. Whether the unique Easter rabbit of Fredericksburg, Texas, or exploding firecrackers in Florence, Italy, every Easter symbol expresses hope, joy in living, and wonder at the miracle of new life—feelings shared by people everywhere.

Warmly written, and illustrated with two-color drawings by Ursula Arndt, this is a book to be discovered and read with pleasure by young readers of all faiths.

From the dust jacket