The importance of Easter eggs at Easter might surprise you.
Easter eggs have been a memorable part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a young child, growing up in the country, coloring eggs and later finding where they’d been hidden was exciting. The eggs were always real ones; either chicken or turkey eggs. Back then there were no plastic eggs to fill with candy. Even though the fun took place on Easter morning, I didn’t really connect it with the celebration of Christ’s resurrection until years later.
Why did coloring eggs become a popular Easter ritual?
I wasn’t sure. That led me on a fact finding search for answers. Here’s what I found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg
This custom of the Easter egg can be traced to early Christians of Mesopotamia, and from there it spread into Russia and Siberia through the Orthodox Churches, and later into Europe through the Catholic and Protestant Churches. The spread of coloring eggs seems to have begun in Persia and carried into the Greek Christian Churches of Mesopotamia, then on the Russia and Siberia via the spread of Orthodox Christianity. An egg dyed red was in memory of the blood of Christ which was shed to pardon sins.
There is pagan folklore, too. Coloring eggs was part of the springtime festivities among Germanic peoples who desired to pay honor to the goddess Ostara. The heathen Easter was much like the May-feast at the start of Spring. The church didn’t approve of this practice but was forced to tolerate it.
The eggs symbolize the empty tomb
Anne Jordan (5 April 2000). Christianity. Nelson Thornes. Retrieved 7 April 2012. Easter eggs are used as a Christian symbol to represent the empty tomb. The outside of the egg looks dead but inside there is new life, which is going to break out. The Easter egg is a reminder that Jesus will rise from His tomb and bring new life. Orthodox Christians dye boiled eggs red to make red Easter eggs that represent the blood of Christ shed for the sins of the world.
The resurrected Christ
Once the egg cracks, and the shell is emptied, it is symbolic of the empty tomb. Jesus came forth! What was thought to be dead, is really alive! His resurrection represents new life for all who believe. The tomb could not hold Him! Death cannot hold us.
Even if you didn’t grow up on a farm do you see the similarity between the egg and the risen Christ? Eggs inherently represent new life. Within the shell a new life takes form. At just the right time, pecking begins. Soon the chick emerges. I always loved to see baby chicks hatch and begin to walk around free of their eggshells.
Enjoy coloring those eggs. But try to remember their hidden symbolism. While there are many ways to color an egg, there is just one good explanation for their role in our Easter celebrations.
