why do we give easter eggs?

Answers to why do we give easter eggs

An egg is a symbol of new life. At Easter it is used as a symbol of Jesus' resurrection. The outside of an egg looks like a stone and so it is a way to represent the outside view of Jesus' sealed tomb. Inside the egg is the new life of a baby chick ready to break out and so this is a way to represent Jesus' new life as he rose from death.

Easter eggs
People would decorate eggs to give to members of their family at Easter. Now chocolate Easter eggs are given as a result of this symbol of new life.

Easter basket
Often children take part in Easter egg hunts. Adults will hide small chocolate eggs around the house or garden and the children have to search for them before they can eat them.

What other symbols of new life are used at Easter time?
Lambs and rabbits are symbols of new life. They are related to Easter because it is a springtime festival when young sheep and rabbits are seen in the fields. There will often be lots of pictures of chicks, lambs and rabbits associated with Easter time.

The Easter egg is venerable indeed. While the gaily colored cardboard ones and rich chocolate ones that we enjoy are quite recent in origin, the real egg, decorated with colors or gilt, has been acknowledged as a symbol of continuing life and resurrection since pre-Christian spring celebrations.

Given as gifts by the ancient Greeks, Persians, and Chinese at their spring festivals, the egg also appears in pagan mythology, where we read of the Sun-Bird being hatched from the World Egg. in some pagan customs, the Heaven and Earth were thought to have been formed from two halves of an egg.

As the egg was an obvious symbol to early Christians of Jesus' Resurrection, it was felt to be a most appropriate and holy part of the Eastertide celebration.

Even as early as the Middle Ages, eggs were colored to be given as gifts at Easter; Edward I's accounts for 1290 include the expense of purchasing hundreds of eggs to be distributed to his household. in the 17th century, pope Paul V blessed the humble egg in a prayer to be used in England, Scotland, and Ireland: "Bless, O Lord, we beseech Thee, this Thy creature of eggs, that it may become a wholesome sustenance to Thy faithful servants, eating in thankfulness to Thee, on account of the Resurrection of Our Lord." Forbidden during the solemn fast of Lent, eggs were reintroduced on Easter Sunday, both as part of the feasting and as gifts for family, friends, and servants.

Another man's view
The rock covering the entrance to the chamber in which Christ was allegedly placed was not egg shaped at all. In fact it was shaped like a small rock, only larger and heavier. Now the Easter Bunny and her eggs are not just a Pagan myth, which the Roman Church stole to gain acceptance and trust with the unconverted during medieval times. Cool as, I spelled that correctly. No, the Easter Bunny was a real creature, which, through a genetic quirk, layed eggs. At one time there were loads of the little blighters all over the place, leaving their little chocolate ovoids in their wake. But during the great knicker shortage, 632BC-529BC, the Easter Bunny was hunted to near extinction for it's luxuriant coat, which happened to make a very nice, soft and warm pair of knickers. When all looked doomed for the Bunny, some Pagan Holy Rollers had a bit of a chin wag about the demise of the little furball, and decided to make it a sin against Gaia, to kill any more Easter Bunnies. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, and the very last true Easter Bunny passed away, some three hundred years after the edict was deeded. It is believed he is buried under Stonehenge, surrounded by thirteen golden eggs, each one a representation of the thirteen months of the lunar calendar. Since his death, every year on the anniversary, we Pagans celibrate his life, by handing out Golden covered chocolate eggs and bunny figurines. We miss him, but we really love him in chocolate form. I know I do.

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