Easter Eggs

Eggs have for centuries been associated with the celebration of Easter. They are the one symbol that everyone recognises as the absolute emblem of the festival, and they symbolize fertility and new life. Traditionally eggs were painted in bright colours to represent the sunlight of spring and etched with various designs or used in egg-rolling competitions.

In Medieval times they were given by masters to their servants but over the centuries people everywhere have come to exchange these at Easter time. Decorating eggs is one of the fun parts of the festival and different cultures tend to do this in different ways. In Greece, Crimson eggs are exchanged to honour the blood of Christ. The Slavic peoples decorate their eggs in special patterns of silver and gold, where as the Germans and Austrians use green eggs on Maundy Thursday.

The Austrians are especially creative when it comes to their Easter eggs , fastening ferns and tiny plants around the eggs which are then boiled. The plants are then removed to reveal a white pattern. In stark contrast, the Poles and Ukrainians decorate theirs in much simpler colours.

In recent years however, the exchanging of chocolate eggs at Easter has become a universal phenomenon. These come in various shapes and sizes and even in the form of popular cartoon characters.