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 People
have asked me that question over the years. So here's a quick
answer. Easter, the most joyous time in the Christian year,
is celebrated in commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus
Christ. The exact day on which Easter falls may vary from
year to year, but it always comes, of course, in the spring
of the year. The name itself comes from ‘Eastre',
which was the Teutonic goddess of spring. Thus, as Christianity
spread, the celebration of Easter included many customs that
were linked with the celebration of spring's arrival. This
explains why many Easter customs go back to traditions that
existed before Christianity.
Both Easter
and the coming of spring are symbols of new life. The ancient
Egyptians and Persians celebrated their spring festivals by
coloring and eating eggs. This is because they considered
the egg a symbol of fertility and new life. So the Christians
adopted the egg as symbolic of new life, the symbol of the
Resurrection. The Pennsylvania Dutch, in this country, are
credited with reviving the tradition of coloring eggs and
developing it to a fine art. There is another reason why we
observe the practice of eating eggs on Easter Sunday and of
giving them as gifts to friends or children. In the early
days of the Church, eggs were a forbidden food during Lent.
With the ending of Lent, people were so glad to see and eat
eggs again that they made it a tradition to eat them on Easter
Sunday.
 The
Easter hare (bunny) was also part of the spring celebrations
long before Christianity. In the legends of ancient Egypt,
the hare is associated with the moon. The hare is linked with
the night because it comes out only then to feed. By being
associated with the moon, the hare became a symbol of a new
period of life. Since the rabbit is one of the most prolific
of animals, it also served as an appropriate emblem of their
hopes for large herds and abundant crops. Thus the hare stood
for the renewal of life and for fertility. The early Christians
therefore took it over and linked it with Easter, the holiday
that symbolizes new life! Eggs, rabbits, and Easter - reinvented
symbols of new life.
Yes,
most people know Easter has something to do with ‘dyeing'.
But remember that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, not a cup
of food coloring. Experience the joy of his resurrection
during this Lent and Easter.
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