Why do we Hunt for Easter Eggs?

Easter Celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

On the Easter Holiday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for their sins.  Christians have been celebrating this holiday since 33 AD which is believed to be the time Jesus Christ resurrected.  The dates when this holiday is celebrated varies.  It can be in March or in April depending on the equinox.

The Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox.

easter1We know that Easter must always occur on a Sunday, because Sunday was the day of Christ’s Resurrection.  But why the paschal full moon?  Because that was the date of Passover in the Jewish calendar, and the Last Supper (Holy Thursday) occurred on the Passover.  Therefore, Easter was the Sunday after Passover.

The biblical account of Jesus’ death on the cross, or crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection, or raising from the dead, can be found in the following passages of Scripture: Matthew 27:27-28:8; Mark 15:16-16:19; Luke 23:26-24:35; and John 19:16-20:30.

To help celebrate  the resurrection, there are a number of Easter Traditions which have been widely practiced across the world.  Some of these common Easter traditions include:

Easter Fashion

It’s said the early church converts wore white garments on Sunday to identify themselves with Christ. The white symbolized purity and newness of life and became a powerful and tangible way to signify the life-altering spiritual transformation that had taken place. These new clothes were a reminder of their new life in Christ.  The popularity of wearing an Easter bonnet is attributed to Irving Berlin’s song titled In Your Easter Bonnet from the 1948 movie Easter Parade.

The Easter Basket

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The custom of having a large Easter supper represents the end of the Lenten fast.  In more ancient times, this large feast was brought to the church in large baskets, hence the connection to treats in an Easter baskets today. This basket was blessed by the clergy much like the ancient Hebrews brought their first seedlings to the temple to be blessed. In Germany, the Easter hare would make a nest and fill it with eggs and goodies for all the good boys and girls.   Giving and receiving Easter baskets is a reminder of God’s gifts.

The Easter Egg Hunt

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This tradition is believed to have originated from the spring festivals of pagans while celebrating the fertility of their lands.  Christians copied this tradition but intertwined it with some religious significance.  During the Easter Egg Hunt, eggs are hidden all over the house or garden by the mythical Easter bunny.  The eggs may contain candy or other prizes. In some other cases, hard boiled eggs may also be used.  Children spend most of their time looking for the eggs so they can put them in their Easter Basket.  Hard boiled eggs for Easter hunt are decorated with paint in most cases.  The Easter bunny is a prominent symbol of Easter.

The Easter Parade

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The Easter Parade tradition dates back to the early to mid-1800s.  During this time, the upper class in the society used to attend Easter mass at Fifth avenue churches after which they would stroll outside while showing off some of the springs hats and outfits at large.  The average citizens would show up along the Avenue to see what the upper class were doing.  The Easter parade is widely practiced across most continents in the world.

Decoration of the Church

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Most Churches are decorated with flowers during the Easter holiday.  Flowers are used in church to symbolize the rebirth.  Traditionally, some of the Easter flowers used include the Easter Lilies, Pussy Willows and daffodils.  Easter Lilies are the most commonly used flowers because they are believed to have first grown in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus Christ was arrested before he was crucified. Red tulips are also used to symbolize the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for our sins.

The Easter celebrations also vary from country to country.  In Italy, reenactments of the story about Easter are held in Public squares.  In Germany, Easter eggs are placed in a tree.  This combination is termed as the Easter Egg Tree which looks like the Christmas tree.

 

Easter is a Christian Holiday full of meaning and traditions.  As you color eggs for the hunt, or fill the basket, or don your finest attire and visit a Church service,  you are helping to remember the true meaning of Easter – the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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21 Comments:

  1. Beautiful story about Easter. Another reason that Easter is celebrated when it is, is the church was strategic in placing the Christian holidays on the dates that the Pagan women were already celebrating. This made it easier for the Church to absorb the pagans.

    Nevertheless, Jesus is a symbol of resurrection for us all!

  2. Interesting to read about where Easter traditions, such as hunting for eggs, came from, Robin.

  3. What a great explanation of the history of Easter… and what we do.. traditions… everyone has their owns. I know that my family has always hidden eggs, even up to middle teenage years… they love it.

    • ccfsm@prodigy.net

      Yes, it is interesting that so many families have traditions of Easter; must have been passed down from generations. Fascinating how they all came to be.

  4. Although I’m Christian, I had no idea about where some of these Easter traditions originated. In fact, I’ve always wondered about the baskets. That’s so interesting about the Easter bonnet–I would not have guessed it was related to a song!

    • ccfsm@prodigy.net

      It was fun for me to learn the traditions as I researched for the article. Will give Easter a more significant meaning as we hunt for eggs this year.

  5. Hello,
    This is a good article and learned some new information, I am christian and wore the easter bonnet and dress when I was a child . Thanks Good Post!
    Lori English

    • ccfsm@prodigy.net

      Isn’t it fun to remember our Easter Bonnet days? Such a gentler time; would be fun to celebrate in a more traditional way.

  6. Interesting read! Easter is my best period in my Christianity calendar ( I know most people prefer Christmas) I was baptized and received my confirmation during this time too. As for the Easter tradition, I have no idea where they came from. In my country of origin, we still celebrate Easter the old fashion way.

  7. I learned some new things about the Easter tradition from reading this, especially the baskets.

  8. What an interesting article, to remind us about why we do all the Easter traditions. In Scandinavia, we also hang eggs and feathers in tree or tree branches.

    • ccfsm@prodigy.net

      Interesting that you hang eggs and feathers on trees. Love all the traditions and how they evolved.

  9. You never know where you will learn something new. I have never paid attention to these Easter eggs stuff because we never did it back in my country.

  10. Thank you for sharing the history of these Easter traditions, Robin. How often we follow without out understanding the meaning and history behind them.

  11. This is an amazing article, I’m actually a Muslim but I’m learning about Christianity in school and this has really helped me, thank you!

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