The Origin of Easter Eggs
Eggs have been an association of Easter celebrations throughout history. The egg was a symbol of fertility and new beginnings in times gone by, a belief which was adopted by Christian followers who used the egg to represent their Saviour’s resurrection.
Although the Christian festival of Easter is more commonly known as a commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ, the season was celebrated long before this by Pagans. For Christians the egg therefore symbolises new life, a tradition that has survived into modern times where it is epitomised in the form of the chocolate eggs we now see at Easter time.
The festival of Easter stretches back to pre-Christian times as well, where the changing of the seasons and the renewed life of Earth during the months of March and April were a time of Pagan celebration. More Easter symbols, including the Easter Bunny, can be traced back to Pagan times.
Decorating hard-boiled eggs at Easter time is another well known tradition and one that stems from the belief that the first eggs ever given at Easter were bird’s eggs. As a result, these eggs were painted in bright colours, which would give them further meaning as a gift – and so the practice continues.
The tradition of colouring eggs in bright colours, representing the rainbows, sunlight and fresh colours of spring, dates back to the Middle Ages and is still an important custom for many Christians today. In fact, in Germany it is traditional to paint eggs green and eat them on Maundy Thursday – the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter – which commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. What’s more, in Greek and Slavic cultures, eggs are dyed red
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