Easter Eggs

Easter eggs are an integral part of the Easter festival and symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus. Easter eggs are also known as Paschal eggs. The eggs are decorated and given to celebrate Easter or Spring. From the old tradition of giving painted or dyed chicken eggs to the modern ones of of plastic eggs comprising confectionery of chocolate eggs, the Easter eggs have undergone various changes over the years.

History of the Easter Eggs

The concept of using decorated eggs date back to many centuries. In the ancient Egypt and the early cultures of Mesopotamia and Crete, decorated eggs of the ostrich and symbols of the ostrich egg in silver and gold were put in the graves of Egyptians and the Sumerians in ancient times. It was among the early Mesopotamian Christians that the custom of Easter eggs began. The custom was officially adopted by the Christian Church which regarded the egg as a symbol of Jesus' resurrection.

Symbolism

The Easter egg is the central part of the Easter celebrations and has a lot of significance. There are many Christians who connect the opening of the Easter egg with Jesus' empty tomb. In Orthodox churches, the priests bless the Easter eggs at the conclusion of the Paschal vigil. Thereafter, they are distributed among the faithful. Women in Greece dye the eggs with vinegar and onion skins. There is also an Orthodox tradition of greeting friends Easter wishes by presenting them red colored eggs.

Decoration of Easter eggs

On Easter shops are full of embellished Easter eggs. Decorated Easter eggs are mainly presented to family and friends as a form of greetings. However, every nation has its own customs regarding Easter eggs. In the European nation of Germany, people exchange Easter eggs on Thursday rather than on Sunday, which happens to be Easter. Easter eggs attain their color by dyeing them in natural and food coloring. In Lebanon, people boil the egg and then decorate them with dye or paint them. These eggs are then used to decorate the house. In some countries such as Ukraine, Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and Macedonia, Easter eggs are painted in red color. There is also a tradition of hitting the other person's egg with one's own. The game is played among family and friends and those whose eggs do not break will have good luck. In Goa, a state in India, Easter eggs are made with Marzipan, a Goan Catholic dish.

There are many ways to embellish Easter eggs. People use both traditional as well as modern ways to beautify eggs. However, for those who do not have painting skills, there are various hues of Easter egg wraps available in the market. It is easy to wrap these around the egg and beautify it. Many people also make a wreath of Easter eggs and hang it on their doorway or porch. But this is done by using plastic eggs and not the real eggs. Real eggs are fragile and may break easily.

In many European nations, especially Britain, chocolate Easter eggs are the most popular gifting item. These scrumptious eggs are also a major revenue earner as kids and adults alike love them. A whopping 80 million eggs are sold on Easter in Britain. Apart from the chocolate shape, the chocolate eggs also come in the shape of a bunny rabbit.