Easter 2017

Hand decorated Easter Eggs

Many events listed on religious calendars which share a common date frequently involve the fusion of different beliefs either inadvertantly or deliberately. Easter is one very clear example whereby the calendar event relates to a specific event in Christianity (the death and resurrection of Christ) but the practices of celebration have multiple sources including pagan and other non Christian religions.

Easter eggs are a point in case. While there is a strong connection between the Christian faith and the cruxifiction and arising of Christ, there is evidence of practices involving eggs from Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Crete which provided influences on early Christians. Paschal eggs, a well established custom in central Europe, involved the exchange of gifts of hand-decorated eggs but shares its origin with the traditional symbol of springtime, fertility and rebirth. The early Christians of Mesopotamia are believed to have stained their eggs with the colours of green and yellow. The Easter egg in general is meant to represent the empty tomb of Jesus Christ.

The use of chocolate eggs originates from the 16th and 17th century in Germany where the "Easter Hare" included sweets in his basket of coloured eggs which were distributed to children. In the 20th and 21st Century, Easter now denotes a general 'chocolate festival' usually with little religious connection.