The Easter Bunny Museum in the now-defunct Center for Unusual Museums in Munich showcased examples of 19th century Easter rabbits made of cardboard, wood, or fabric, and some had removable heads to allow for hiding candy inside (these would be the forerunners to chocolate bunnies).

　　位于慕尼黑的复活节兔子博物馆(该博物馆所属的特殊博物馆中心现已关闭)展示了一些19世纪复活节兔子的样例，这些兔子由纸板、木头或布制成，有些兔子的头部是可以拆卸的，可以把糖果藏在里面。这些兔子可能是巧克力兔的前身。

　　At the same time, the middle classes of the Western world began enjoying the chocolaty fruits of progress. The Industrial Revolution changed chocolate from a costly drink to a cheap solid food. The craft of making the smooth-textured solid chocolate we’re familiar with today requires many steps, and those were not possible without mechanization; the first eating (as opposed to drinking) chocolates appeared in Europe in the mid-1800s.

　　与此同时，西方中产阶级开始享受巧克力这一社会进步的果实。工业革命将巧克力从一种昂贵的饮品变为廉价的固体食品。制作我们今天所熟悉的质地丝滑的固体巧克力需要很多步骤，没有机械化是不可能实现的。第一批能吃(而不是喝)的巧克力19世纪中期出现在欧洲。

　　The chocolate bunny had yet to cross the Atlantic, though. The Pennsylvania Dutch imported the Oschter Haws, or Easter Hare, who delivered colored eggs to good children. One of the better-known early sightings of chocolate rabbits in America was in 1890, when Pennsylvania shopkeeper Robert L. Strohecker featured a five-foot chocolate rabbit in his drugstore to attract business at Easter. And after that long journey, chocolate rabbits of more manageable proportions eventually became an Easter staple.

　　不过当时巧克力兔还没有横渡大西洋。宾夕法尼亚州的殖民者引进了复活兔的概念，也就是会给好孩子送彩蛋的兔子。复活节兔早期在美国最著名的一件事是1890年宾夕法尼亚州的商人罗伯特·L·施特罗埃克尔在他的杂货店里摆了一只5英尺(约合1.52米)高的巧克力兔子在复活节招揽生意。经过长期的发展，巧克力兔的尺寸变得更加合适，最终成为了复活节的一种主要食品。