 In Anglo @-@ Saxon paganism , the hare is associated with reproduction and fertility and is a symbol for the spring goddess Ēostre . Its connection with Easter eggs was based on a misconception by the Europeans that lapwings laid their eggs in the homes of hares . Germanic cultures noticed the high activity of hares during the spring and it was believed that their " mating dance " helped the earth grow . This observation would also lead to the popular English idiom mad as a March hare . The hare is a character in some fables , such as The Tortoise and the Hare of Aesop . It also appears in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll , in which Alice participates in a crazy tea party with the March Hare and the Mad Hatter . 
