History And The Meaning Of Easter Eggs

Photo illustration (Filip Baotic / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Easter is not only celebrated through worship. Easter is associated with many interesting traditions. If there's one thing in common in Easter traditions, it's Easter eggs. What is the history of Easter eggs like and how Christians interpret them?

Not only be eaten, but Easter eggs are also usually decorated with colorful paints. In addition, many Easter eggs are also served in the form of chocolate.

As reported by Coles.com.au, the tradition of eating and decorating boiled eggs on Easter began hundreds of years ago in the Middle East. This belief is based on the 60.000-year-old discovery of decorated ostrich eggs in Africa.

After the Middle East, the Easter egg tradition extends to Eastern Europe. There, this tradition was adopted by the Orthodox Church.

In the 1870s, the European community started the tradition of decorating chocolate in the shape of a chicken egg. Subsequently, in the 19th century, Easter egg-shaped chocolates began to appear in France and Germany.

Continuing the tradition in Germany, when Britain was led by Queen Victoria, they renewed the tradition of chocolate Easter eggs in the form of toy eggs. The toy is covered in satin cloth and filled with Easter gifts.

The meaning of Easter eggs

People in ancient times considered the Easter egg to be a symbol of rebirth. They also eat it to celebrate the arrival of spring.

They believe in spring as the time when the Sun God has returned after winter. For Christians in the past, painted chicken eggs were not just decoration but also contained many symbols.

In color, for example. Red is represented as the blood of Christ or about form. The eggshell represents his grave.

The activity of breaking the shell, for Christians, is a symbol of the reminder of Christ's resurrection from the dead. The tradition of rolling Easter eggs is also a symbol of rolling stones outside Christ's tomb in Jerusalem.

Another reason why eggs are associated with Easter is that for hundreds of years Christians were forbidden from eating all kinds of animal products, including chicken eggs, during Lent.

Lent is a period of 40 days Christians are obliged to observe the fast as a reflection of their life ahead of Easter. Well, it is on Easter that they will eat eggs as a form of celebration that marks the end of Lent.

*Read other information about EASTER or read other interesting articles from Detha Arya Tifada.

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