EASTER EGG HISTORY

Easter eggs originated from the Indo-European tradition where the egg is a symbol of spring.

In the past, in Persia, people will rewarded each other with egg during the celebration of spring, which for them also symbolized the beginning of the new year. God of spring, called “Eostre”  was the God who was worshiped in the celebration of the "vernal equinox". The name of the god is finally used to refer to Easter, "Easter" (in English).

            In the first centuries of Christianity, the tradition is difficult to remove because it happened to fall on the beginning of each Spring. Spring Celebration is always celebrated with a festive. Plants and flowers begin to grow and bloom,  and fun atmosphere like this be a good time for handing out gifts.

            Handing out Easter eggs on the day was finally accepted by the church in addition to celebrate the coming of spring, also because the eggs give an idea / symbol in life. In Christian, the eggs have religious meaning, namely as a symbol of the tomb stone where Jesus came out to welcome a new life through His resurrection. In addition, there are other reasons that made Easter eggs as a sign of privilege, that is because once the egg is one of the abstinence food for Lent. From the beginning, Christians has been coloring Easter eggs with bright colors, ask for blessings upon it, eat it, and give them to friends as Easter gifts.

Easter egg tradition developed among the nations of Northern Europe and in Asia. However, in Southern Europe and also in South America, the tradition of Easter eggs never became popular.

TRADITION

            In medieval times, according to tradition, the eggs were distributed on Easter Day to all the waiters. There are records that King Edward I of England (1307) ordered to boil 450 eggs before Easter, colored or covered with gold leaf, which then will split them out to all members of the royal family on Easter Day.

            Easter eggs are usually distributed to children as Easter gifts along with other gifts. This custom is rooted in Germany where the eggs called Dingeier . Thus evolved a variety of rhyme in France, Germany, Austria and Britain, where the children, even today, demanding Easter eggs as their prize.

            In some areas of Ireland, the children collect the eggs of geese and ducks during the Holy Week, to be given as gifts on Easter Sunday. Previously, on Palm Sunday, they make small nests of stone, and throughout the Holy Week they collect as many eggs, store them in their hidden nests.

On Easter Sunday, they eat all of them, share them with other children who are still too small to collect their own eggs.

            The adults also gave eggs as gifts in Ireland. The number of eggs that will be awarded is determined according to the ancient proverb among the people of Ireland: One egg for a real man

            Another common tradition among the children is a race to find the eggs, both in the home or in the garden. In France, children listen to fairy tales that Easter eggs were dropped from the church bells on their way back from Rome. In Germany and Austria, small baskets of eggs, pastries and sweets are placed in hidden places, and the children believe that the Easter bunny, who is also very popular in this country, has laid the eggs and candy.

 

The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world.  Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice.  But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice.

~Henry Knox Sherrill~

_See Ya_