Easter Traditions… Go on an Easter Egg Hunt

So, if Easter is a Christian festival to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, what’s with the eggs? And where do the rabbits come into it? We don’t remember them in the New Testament. Of course, it turns out, that they’re pre-Christian rituals, tacked onto the religious festivities. The Egyptians and the Persians both gave coloured eggs as ‘spring festival’ gifts, whilst the ancient Egyptians believed that the hare came out at night to feed the moon. In ancient Europe, eggs of different colours were taken from the nests of various birds to make talismans. People would search through the woods for them, a trip which evolved in to today’s egg hunt. The fact that eggs were forbidden during Lent also made them a sought-after prize. The first chocolate egg is believed to have been made in Germany, but it was when German immigrants took the skill to Pennsylvania that Easter started becoming such a choc-fest. After the Civil War, the hunt for the chocolate Easter egg became an integral part of the festivities.

Like many US trends, it has crossed the pond and the hunting down and devouring of eggs for mass consumption (or EMC’s as the White House might call them) has now become part of the fabric of the UK Easter festivities. So if you feel the urge to seek out and destroy some cocoa-filled monsters, see pages 12 and 16 for locations plus page 23 for dental consequences… NW