What's it got to do with Easter? Part 2 -Eggs

 

What's it got to do with Easter? Part 2: Eggs

A lot of us may associate eggs with Easter. Chocolate eggs, or decorated eggs, but where does the link between eggs and Easter originally come from?

There are a couple of different theories depending on who you ask. Some will say eggs are the pagan symbol of fertility, and so in spring time, which falls around the same time as Easter, eggs were celebrated. Then others will say that the tradition of eggs at Easter is due to them traditionally being forbidden during lent (along with all meat and dairy). Obviously, hens don’t adhere to lent and will keep laying eggs, so some would be nested and little chicks be born, and then later in lent the eggs would be hard boiled and decorated ready to break the Lenten fast on Easter Sunday. Some were dyed with natural dyes and intricate patterns added, others more simply dyed red to symbolise Jesus’ blood, some with the words ‘Christ is Risen’. Chocolate eggs have only been around for around 150 years, but for hundreds of years eggs (the real kind, not chocolate) were a symbol of easter Sunday.

Wherever this tradition did originate, how can we use it to focus on Jesus?

Well, eggs represent new life, and new life for us is secured in the death of Jesus on Good Friday. The shell is like the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid for 3 days, or even perhaps the egg can represent the stone, which was rolled away to allow Jesus, in his resurrected body to re-emerge into the world. Let’s celebrate this Easter, eat an egg or two (chocolate or otherwise!) and remember all that Jesus has done for us.