The History of Easter Eggs
When thinking of Easter, the first association that most people make is that of the chocolate egg which is so synonymous with the period. Originally, Easter was a religious festival, and those of a religious persuasion would argue that this is still the primary function of the day. In reality however, as the importance of religion in our society
dwindles, the significance of Easter drifts increasingly towards chocolate.
It is traditional that parents will buy chocolate eggs for their children eggs and convince them that they were delivered by the Easter Bunny, a fictional figure who was invented to encourage children’s interest in the festival. But how did chocolate eggs become associated with a religious festival?
The symbol of the egg originates from early Christian times when it was adopted as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. The concept was derived from the Pagans who used the symbol of the egg as a symbol for the re-birth of the earth. Originally, chicken eggs would be painted by children as a way of remembering Jesus’ resurrection. As time went on the tradition evolved to include sweets, one imagines as an attempt to retain the interest of children and ensure that Easter was looked forward to and treasured as a significant event.
Of course, the concept of buying a chocolate egg at a certain time of year is the marketers dream, and the celebration soon became swept up in commercialisation as different manufacturers battled to get their share of the market.
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