History of the Easter Egg
The egg is nature's perfect package. It has, during the span ofhistory, represented mystery, magic, medicine, food and omen.It is the universal symbol of Easter celebrations throughout theworld and has been dyed, painted, adorned and embellished in thecelebration of its special symbolism.
Before the egg became closely entwined with the Christian Easter,it was honored during many rite-of- Spring festivals. The Romans,Gauls, Chinese, Egyptians and Persians all cherished the egg asa symbol of the universe. From ancient times eggs were dyed, exchangedand shown reverence. In Pagan times the egg represented the rebirthof the earth. The long, hard winter was over; the earth burstforth and was reborn just as the egg miraculously burst forthwith life. The egg, therefore, was believed to have special powers.It was buried under the foundations of buildings to ward off evil;pregnant young Roman women carried an egg on their persons toforetell the sex of their unborn children; French brides steppedupon an egg before crossing the threshold of their new homes.
With the advent of Chrisianity the symbolism of the egg changedto represent, not nature's rebirth, but the rebirth of man. Christiansembraced the egg symbol and likened it to the tomb from whichChrist rose. Old Polish legends blended folklore and Christianbeliefs and firmly attached the egg to the Easter celebration.One legend concerns the Virgin Mary. It tells of the time Marygave eggs to the soldiers at the cross. She entreated them tobe less cruel and she wept. The tears of Mary fell upon the eggs,spotting them with dots of brilliant color. Another Polish legendtells of when Mary Magdalen went to the sepulchre to anoint thebody of Jesus. She had with her a basket of eggs to serve as arepast. When she arrived at the sepulchre and uncovered the eggs,lo, the pure white shells had miraculously taken on a rainbowof colors.
Decorating and coloring eggs for Easter was the custom in Englandduring the middle ages. The household accounts of Edward I, forthe year 1290, recorded an expenditure of eighteen pence for fourhundred and fifty eggs to be gold-leafed and colored for Eastergifts. The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made bythe well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the RussianCzar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Eastergift for his wife, the Empress Marie. The first Faberge egg wasan egg within an egg. It had an outside shell of platinum andenameled white which opened to reveal a smaller gold egg. Thesmaller egg, in turn, opened to display a golden chicken and ajeweled replica of the Imperial crown. This special Faberge eggso delighted the Czarina that the Czar promptly ordered the Fabergefirm to design further eggs to be delivered every Easter. In lateryears Nicholas II, Alexander's son, continued the custom. Fifty-seveneggs were made in all. Ornamental egg designers believe in thesymbolism of the egg and celebrate the egg by decorating it withsuperb artistry. Some use flowers and leaves from greeting cards,tiny cherubs, jewels and elegant fabrics, braids and trims, toadorn the eggs. They are separated, delicately hinged and gluedwith epoxy and transparent cement, then when completed, they arecovered with a glossy resin finish.
Eggs Of all the symbols associated with Easter the egg, the symbolof fertility and new life, is the most identifiable. The customsand traditions of using eggs have been associated with Easterfor centuries. Originally Easter eggs were painted with brightcolors to represent the sunlight of spring and were used in Easter-eggrolling contests or given as gifts. After they were colored andetched with various designs the eggs were exchanged by loversand romantic admirers, much the same as valentines. In medievaltime eggs were traditionally given at Easter to the servants.
In Germany eggs were given to children along with other Eastergifts. Different cultures have developed their own ways of decoratingEaster eggs. Crimson eggs, to honor the blood of Christ, are exchangedin Greece. In parts of Germany and Austria green eggs are usedon Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday). Slavic peoples decorate theireggs in special patterns of gold and silver. Austrian artistsdesign patterns by fastening ferns and tiny plants around theeggs, which are then boiled. The plants are then removed revealinga striking white pattern. The Poles and Ukrainians decorate eggswith simple designs and colors. A number of eggs are made in thedistinctive manner called pysanki (to design, to write). Pysankieggs are a masterpiece of skill and workmanship. Melted beeswaxis applied to the fresh white egg. It is then dipped in successivebaths of dye. After each dip wax is painted over the area wherethe preceding color is to remain. Eventually a complex patternof lines and colors emerges into a work of art.
In Germany and other countries eggs used for cooking where notbroken, but the contents were removed by piercing the end of eachegg with a needle and blowing the contents into a bowl. The holloweggs were died and hung from shrubs and trees during the EasterWeek. The Armenians would decorate hollow eggs with pictures ofChrist, the Virgin Mary, and other religious designs. Easter EggGames Eggs play an important part in Easter sports.
The Romans celebrated the Easter season by running races on anoval track and giving eggs as prizes. Two traditional Easter egggames are the Easter Egg Hunt and the Easter Egg Roll. On Eastermorning the children of the house join in a search to locate theeggs that the Easter Bunny had hidden while they where asleep.The searching might continue though out the house with the olderchildren helping the youngest. Sometimes prizes of candy are awaitingthe child finding the most eggs. Easter egg hunts can are alsopart of a community's celebration of holiday. The eggs are hiddenin public places and the children of the community are invitedto find the eggs. The rules of an Easter Egg Roll are to see whocan roll an egg the greatest distance or can make the roll withoutbreaking it, usually down a grassy hillside or slope. Maybe themost famous egg rolling takes place on the White House Lawn. Hundredsof children come with baskets filled with brightly decorated eggsand roll them down the famous lawn, hoping the President of theUnited States is watching the fun.
Although the omens and the mystery of the egg have disappearedtoday, the symbolism remains, and artists continue in the oldworld tradition of adorning eggs.
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