The Easter Bunny tradition in the United States originated with German immigrants.
German settlers brought stories of the Easter hare, often called the Osterhase or Easter Hare, to North America during the eighteenth century. Children were said to prepare nests for the creature, which would leave colored eggs and other treats for those considered well behaved.
The American custom gradually changed the hare into a rabbit in popular culture. Baskets, chocolate, toys, and commercial celebrations later became closely associated with the character, especially during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Easter Bunny is a secular folk figure rather than a biblical character. Rabbits became linked with Easter partly because they are symbols of fertility and spring, while eggs carried a related symbolism of new life. The tradition therefore combines German folklore with older seasonal imagery and modern holiday customs.