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Many ancient peoples believed that the universe was born from an egg, so the egg is a symbol of nature and rebirth. In Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, Easter eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Christ shed on the cross; the hard shell of the egg symbolizes the sealed tomb of Christ; and the breaking of the egg symbolizes His resurrection from the dead.
In Paris during the 13th century, on Easter Sunday, priests and young Catholics would gather in town squares, forming processions to the churches, after which they would disperse through the streets searching for Easter eggs. In some localities, Easter eggs were blessed by priests at the end of the Easter Vigil and distributed to the faithful.
The decorated Easter egg is a means of conveying the Easter message through renewal and vitality. Today, we can use this method to wish each other renewal and to be filled with the new life of the Risen Christ.
Nowadays, the forms of chocolate eggs have changed considerably. In many places, parents give chocolate eggs to children. Chocolate is heated to about 50 degrees Celsius, then poured into molds, and then removed and decorated with various designs. Chocolate factories now produce chocolate eggs in many sizes, colors, and designs to cater to customers.
Furthermore, we must mention games involving eggs: On Easter, children are taken to gardens or forests dedicated to the festivities. Eggs are hidden in bushes, under clumps of grass, etc., for the children to find. Later, plastic eggs appeared, containing a gift such as a movie ticket or a free meal voucher.
Easter eggs in some countries
- In Central Europe, on Easter Vigil, after Mass, the Orthodox priest blesses the food baskets each family brings, which contain items for the next day's feast: bread, cake, cheese, meat, and always a few eggs, sometimes decorated with patterns.
In Belarus and Ukraine, on Easter Sunday morning, Uniathenian Orthodox (those who accept the authority of the Pope) cut an egg in half, enough for each person in the house, and each person eats it with great reverence.
Orthodox Christians observe Lent more strictly than Catholics: for seven weeks, they do not eat any meat or animal fat, nor fish (except once in the middle of Lent), and then on Easter they eat eggs: thus, the egg marks the end of Lent and is the first protein-rich food of spring, becoming a sign of renewal and announcing the good news of Easter.
In Romania, people hold an egg and "clink" it against the host's egg to celebrate the occasion:Christos a inviat("Christ has risen"). People also often wrote letters on eggs and sent them to their loved ones.
From this arose the custom of sending Easter eggs as gifts (sometimes with a religious message, sometimes without), and it took shape as a traditional folk art form, with its own rules and symbolic meanings, varying to some extent depending on the region.
