Origin of Easter Eggs

[netibiza]

Why do we give eggs at Easter - what is the origin of this custom??

[Woodstock]

As I understand it, Jesus was resurrected on Easter Suday - eggs symbolise new life.

[camille79]

I thought it was to symbolise the rock rolled away from the cave's entrance.  As a child, we used to roll decorated hard-boiled eggs down hills and then eat the spoils as an impromptu picnic!

[Clanad]

The Egyptians buried eggs in their tombs. The Greeks placed eggs atop graves. Given as gifts by the ancient Greeks, Persians, and Chinese at their spring festivals,
the egg also appears in pagan mythology, where we read of the Sun-Bird being hatched from the "World Egg". The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime �"Eastre" � through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.
The meaning of many other different customs observed during Easter Sunday have been buried with time. Their origins lie in pre-Christian religions as well as Christianity. All in some way or another are a "salute to spring," marking re-birth. The white Easter lily has come to capture the glory of the holiday. The word "Easter", as previously referenced, is named after Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. A festival was held in her honor every year at the vernal equinox. 
   Today on Easter Sunday children wake up to find that the Easter Bunny has left them baskets of candy. He has also hidden the eggs that they decorated earlier that week. Children hunt for the eggs all around the house. Neighborhoods and organizations hold Easter egg hunts, and the child who finds the most eggs wins a prize. 
The Easter Bunny is a rabbit-spirit. Long ago, he was called the" Easter Hare." Hares and rabbits have frequent multiple births so they became a symbol of fertility. The custom of an Easter egg hunt began because children believed that hares laid eggs in the grass. The Romans believed that "All life comes from an egg." Christians consider eggs to be "the seed of life" and so they are symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.... (with thanks to Wikipedia)

[5029]

The stone that covered the entrance to jesus's  tomb was apparently egg shaped - hence the tradition

[Kay]

Its correct that the egg symbolises the stone at the entrance of Christs tomb.

[Kilala]

Harrumph!

Eggs are for the Spring festival, as is the Easter Bunny, a totally different thing to the Ressurection of Christ!  When Christianity and paganism met, the festivals suddenly happened at the same time!  Christmas is a huge feast including a large bird as it was started as a mid-winter festival to raise morale in the depths of the worst months.  The Spring Festival celebrates the new life- hence bunny's for 'multiplying' and eggs for fertility.

 

Shape of the stone... REALLY...  and the bunny's because they are a recognised symbol of christianity!

 

Don't take offence, I am a Christian, however I separate the festivals apart, as gorging on chocolate is to celebrate new life and excitement in the world.  Quiet comtemplation honours the sacrifice made by Jesus.

As an African village elder once told me:  You mazungus (white people) are so confused- you think jesus had a father who was fat and said ho ho ho?? So busy you want to have all festivals at once.  Savour the differences and your children will too.

[Clare A]

Clanad's was the nearest answer to what Easter, or Eostre, means to me as a Pagan. Spring heralds new life, rebirth and plentiful times to come in the agricultural year. In legend, the Goddess mates with the God (after He chases Her), conceiving the new Sun Child, and they are later to be married at Beltane (May Eve). Nothing new under the Sun, m'dears!