The History of Easter Eggs is Filled with Surprises
If you're like us, you just can't get enough of Easter. Spring's first big holiday, it's the holiest day on the Christian calendar, when we celebrate Jesus's Resurrection from the dead. Of course, there are plenty of secular traditions that have evolved around this event, including getting a visit from the Easter bunny; giving colorful baskets filled with treats and little toys; feasting on spring foods like lamb, ham, and asparagus; and all those activities around eggs. But have you ever wondered about the history and origin of the Easter egg? How in the world did we even get started decorating eggs on Easter, much less hiding and then hunting them, or (arguably even weirder) rolling them across lawns?
Well, you better buckle up, because the answer(s) will probably surprise you. Many historians believe that the origins of the Easter egg pre-date the Crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans 2,000 years ago. In fact, Easter—which is a floating holiday held on a date determined by the vernal equinox and the first spring full moon—is even thought by some to have its origins in an ancient pagan festival. As you get set to observe Easter this year with family-friendly crafts, movies, and Peeps collabs galore, take a minute to check out our responses to all your burning Easter egg questions!
Where did the tradition of Easter eggs come from?
While no one knows exactly when and where the tradition of giving eggs for Easter got started, ancient cultures ranging from the Persians to the Egyptians and the Greeks exchanged eggs during their springtime festivals. In Europe, pagans viewed eggs as a symbol of nature's rebirth following winter's long slumber. Specifically, the miraculous transformation of the seemingly lifeless, shell-bound egg to a living, breathing animal represented this idea of resurrection to them.
Some experts believe that the Easter egg got its start with a post-winter, Anglo-Saxon celebration that honored Eostre or Eastre, a pagan goddess associated with spring. Eggs are believed to have been consumed at the festivities and perhaps even buried in the ground as a way of promoting fertility. As Christianity spread, missionaries sought to encourage conversion by holding Easter around the same time as spring festivals and incorporating pagan symbols, such as the egg, into the holiday.
What is the story of the first Easter egg?
According to most sources, the custom of decorating and giving out Easter eggs dates back to the 13th century. Because the Church did not allow animal products such as meat, milk, cheese, cream, and eggs to be consumed during Lent, eggs gathered during that time were hard-boiled and stored. They would be decorated to mark the end of this period of penance, and then consumed on Easter, after fasting concluded. Traditionally, these eggs would be given to the poor, who were unable to afford meat for their Easter feast.
English aristocrats would also exchange Easter eggs amongst themselves, while villagers gave them to their lords and the Church on Good Friday. Such eggs may have been dyed red, a hue that symbolized joy to Medieval Brits—although some sources say that early Christians in Mesopotamia used the color on eggs to signify Jesus's blood. The tradition of giving Easter eggs continued through the 16th and 17th centuries, finally shifting by the late 1800s to more of a family-friendly ritual for kids than grown-ups.
Which country started decorating Easter eggs?
The practice of prettying up eggs may have gotten its start with the ancient Zoroastrians, who painted them for Persian New Year, and continued with the Trypillian culture that lived in Central Europe 2,500 years ago. But one of the earliest documented examples of decorating eggs specifically for Easter may date to 1290, when England's King Edward I had 450 (!!) eggs colored and decorated in gold leaf. The stunning creations were distributed to members of the royal court for the holiday.
This wasn't the only instance of the fabulously wealthy giving and receiving eggs that would put the Easter Bunny to shame. Two centuries later, King Henry VIII received one in a silver case from the Vatican, a goodie said to be dubbed an "eggsilver." But the most celebrated—and ornate—Easter eggs ever made must be the famed Fabergé Imperial Eggs. Created for the Russian Imperial Romanov family from 1885 to 1916, the 50 eggs were given as Easter presents. Dripping with gold and jewels, and filled with equally extravagant trinkets, they were a very ritzy take on the Russian Orthodox custom of exchanging decorated eggs for Easter.
What is the history of the Easter egg roll?
Of course here in the United States we have a much less upscale, much more populist way of celebrating the holiday: the White House Easter Egg Roll. Founded in 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was president, the event takes place the Monday after Easter. Children descend on the White House lawn, racing to roll Easter eggs across the grass. For kids who haven't netted an invite to the festivities, Easter egg hunts are also a popular activity. The game is said to date back as far as the 1500s, when German Protestant reformer Martin Luther first suggested men hide eggs for their wives and children to find.
In England, Queen Victoria was a fan of the Easter egg hunts organized by her German mother and so helped popularize them in that country. It's believed that the German settlers known as the Pennsylvania Dutch brought the custom of egg hunts with them when they came to America in the 17th century. The holiday tradition arose from German folklore around a hare called "Oschter Haws" that laid eggs in the grass. As part of the Easter festivities, children built nests for the bunny and then searched for the eggs it was said it had left behind.
What do Easter eggs have to do with Jesus?
Just like eggs can be seen as a metaphor for spring, so have they come to be associated with Jesus. The humble egg can be seen as a symbol for Christ's Resurrection, with the hard outer shell representing the stone blocking His tomb. When the egg's shell is ruptured and removed, it signifies the breaking of the tomb's seal and Jesus's rebirth. The empty shell can be seen as the empty tomb and the victory of life over death. Even the act of rolling Easter eggs can represent the rolling away of the tomb's stone.
So now, as you dye, roll, hide, and chow down on your Easter eggs, you can rest assured that it all comes back to the reason for the season! No word on how those delish Cadbury creme eggs tie in yet, but we'll get started figuring that out next...
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