The Easter Bunny tradition comes from medieval Germany, where the Osterhase or Easter Hare would lay its colorful eggs in nests prepared by children. In the 18th-century, settling in the Dutch Pennsylvania countryside, immigrants brought this fable and tradition to the United States.
Dying eggs is a tradition that dates back thousands of years across many cultures. Eggs symbolize rebirth, fertility, and life springing forth. Today Easter egg hunts take place across the country. It is not unusual to see children in their Sunday best surrounding a giant Bunny. Many will also get their picture taken too!
Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tradition, which continues to be used in Central and Eastern Europe, is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs.
Although eggs, in general, were a traditional symbol of fertility and rebirth, in Christianity, for the celebration of Eastertide, Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus, from which Jesus was resurrected. In addition, one ancient tradition was the staining of Easter eggs with the color red "in memory of the blood of Christ, shed as at that time of his crucifixion."
This custom of the Easter egg, according to many sources, can be traced to early Christians of Mesopotamia, and from there it spread into Eastern Europe and Siberia through the Orthodox Churches, and later into Europe through the Catholic and Protestant Churches. Mediaevalist scholars normally conclude that the custom of Easter eggs has its roots in the prohibition of eggs during Lent after which, on Easter, they have been blessed for the occasion.
The practice of decorating eggshells is quite ancient, with decorated, engraved ostrich eggs found in Africa which are 60,000 years old. In the pre-dynastic period of Egypt and the early cultures of Mesopotamia and Crete, eggs were associated with death and rebirth, as well as with kingship, with decorated ostrich eggs, and representations of ostrich eggs in gold and silver, were commonly placed in graves of the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians as early as 5,000 years ago. These cultural relationships may have influenced early Christian and Islamic cultures in those areas, as well as through mercantile, religious, and political links from those areas around the Mediterranean.
Sociology professor Kenneth Thompson discusses the spread of the Easter egg throughout Christendom, writing that "use of eggs at Easter seems to have come from Persia into the Greek Christian Churches of Mesopotamia, thence to Russia and Siberia through the medium of Orthodox Christianity. From the Greek Church the custom was adopted by either the Roman Catholics or the Protestants and then spread through Europe." Both Thompson, as well as British orientalist Thomas Hyde state that in addition to dyeing the eggs red, the early Christians of Mesopotamia also stained Easter eggs green and yellow.
Peter Gainsford maintains that the association between eggs and Easter most likely arose in western Europe during the Middle Ages as a result of the fact that Catholic Christians were prohibited from eating eggs during Lent, but were allowed to eat them when Easter arrived.
If you want to read a lot more about Easter eggs, go here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg
For a meal that's super yummy without requiring a lot of kitchen work, turn to our Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas! This recipe is packed with family-pleasing flavors and ingredients that will keep their tummies full. That's why it's our favorite stress-free way to put dinner on the table.
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 (19-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- Zest of 1/2 a lime
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 (15-ounce) can refried beans, warmed
- 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- In a slow cooker, combine chicken, enchilada sauce, bouillon cubes, lime zest, and cumin; cook on low about 4 hours or until tender. Remove to a cutting board and shred with forks. Stir chicken back into the sauce.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Place beans in the middle of a tortilla, then add about 1/3-cup chicken mixture. Fold edge of the tortilla that's closest to you over the filling, then fold in each side and roll tightly, ending with the seam side down. Place into casserole dish. Repeat process until you've filled all the tortillas.
- Pour the remaining sauce and chicken mixture over the enchiladas. Top with cheese and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated through.
Easter is observed on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox. Considered Christianity’s most important holy day, it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Depending on which calendar a church follows, some will celebrate the holiday earlier than others.
Leading up to Easter Sunday is an entire season of observances beginning with Ash Wednesday, Lent’s official beginning. Lent is a time of fasting and reflection, which represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness for 40 days. Many know this as a time when Christians give something up for Lent.
Then during Holy Week, the Sunday before Easter is known as Palm Sunday. It commemorates Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem on a donkey just five days before the Romans crucified Him. Maundy Thursday remembers Jesus’s last supper; Good Friday is the day of the crucifixion; Holy Saturday is the period between the crucifixion and the resurrection; and Easter Sunday.
HOW TO OBSERVE
If you choose, you can participate in any number of church services. Some churches conduct sunrise services. Dye eggs with children and have an Easter egg hunt. Local communities hold annual egg hunts as well, so check your local social media, newspapers, and community listings for dates and times.
EASTER HISTORY
Before Easter (Pascha), Passover was the primary holy day celebrated; however, Christianity closely links the two holidays. Jesus’s last supper was a Passover meal. By the 2nd century, Orthodox Christians also celebrated Pascha alongside Passover as well as pagan spring festivals.
