As rebirth symbols and renewal, chicken eggs have been used in the celebration for centuries
The main celebration of the Christian calendar represents the resurrection of, which according to Christian belief came to earth to save humanity from their sins. Although, as for reason, they are totally different, the Christian Easter influence the Pessach (“passage” in Hebrew), a traditional celebration of the Jews to celebrate the liberation of the Hebrew people after 400 years of slavery in Egypt. This annual event took place near the early spring in the northern hemisphere, where the Hebrews lived, and happened long before Christianity. Jesus would even have known and participated in some editions of Pessach.
The Christian Easter, however, has a very different meaning of the celebration of the Jews: it recalls the crucifixion and death of Jesus and his resurrection three days later. One of the traditions related to the date and common worldwide is the staging of the Passion of Christ, which recalls the last moments of the religious leader until it is crucified. The Christian celebration also incorporated elements from outside of religion: at that same time as early spring in the northern hemisphere, in antiquity, farmers and even the general population celebrated the arrival of the period when farming was more productive due to the end of winter.
At this point of the year, a tribute was organized to the goddess Ostara, who in Nordic, Anglo-Saxon and Germanic mythology was the goddess of spring, fertility and rebirth. It was a cult of a pagan figure, as it is called those who do not follow a traditional religion. One of the traditions of the party in honor of Ostara was to decorate eggs, or even hide them so that others would look for them. These egg habits resist to this day, now (in Brazil) with chocolate eggs. The rabbit or the hare were symbols of the party through the arrival of spring because they are among the first animals to leave their homes at the end of winter, to enjoy the heat and the most frequent sun.
How did Easter eggs come about?
As symbols of rebirth and renewal, chicken eggs have been used in Easter for centuries – egg symbology fits perfectly into the Christian sense of the date, the celebration of the Renaissance of Jesus Christ. In the 13th century, the English king Eduardo 1st (1239-1307) presented his courtiers with chicken eggs packed in gold leaves. From that time, it became usual to decorate the eggs to give friends and even to celebrate Easter. Chocolate only arrived in Britain 400 years later, in the 17th century. It was a novelty as fascinating as it man. At that time, in fact, it was liquid, and became a fashion drink among millionaires, a symbol of status.
In 1847, Fry’s, which today belongs to the Cadbury English chocolates factory, made the first solid chocolate bars. They began to become popular and, in 1973, the same factory produced the first chocolate easter eggs around the world. Although they have spread, chocolate eggs have been still a sign of status for many years. Even in the early 20th century, people who earned chocolate eggs kept them for years instead of consuming them. Only in the 1970s did commerce began to offer chocolate eggs at more affordable prices, and from then on they became a tradition. Brazil even has a record -related record of Easter eggs: the largest in the world, made by Guinness (the world book of records), is in the Santa Catarina city of Pomerode, which promotes a party with German traditions on this date.
Posted by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from Estadão Content
