In Lancashire in the 18th century, ‘pace eggs’ became very popular. Pace eggs were made from hard boiled hen, duck or goose eggs, with decorated shells dyed with bright colours – just like in the medieval period. They were given as presents at Easter, or to the actors at pace egg plays. Pace egg plays were medieval style mystery plays, with a theatrical fight between a hero and a villain. The hero character was usually killed, before being brought back to life to triumph over the villain. In many plays, the hero character was St George.
Pace eggs were also rolled along the ground in a race called an egg roll. Children would roll a decorated pace egg down a hill, and see whose egg rolled the furthest without breaking. It’s possible that these races started as a symbol of the rolling away of the stone from Jesus’ tomb.
Egg rolling is a tradition that still continues in some parts of England, although today it is chocolate eggs being rolled down the hill! There is an egg rolling event every year in Preston, Lancashire, but the most famous egg roll takes place in the United States of America, on the lawn of the White House, in Washington DC.
Eggs represent new life and rebirth, and it's thought that this ancient custom became a part of Easter celebrations
Easter celebrations
Easter traditions include sunrise services or late-night vigils, exclamations and exchanges of Paschal greetings, flowering the cross, the wearing of Easter bonnets by women, clipping the church, and the decoration and the communal breaking of Easter eggs (a symbol of the empty tomb).
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Easter_traditions
The egg itself became a symbol of the Resurrection. Just as Jesus rose from the tomb, the egg symbolized new life emerging from the eggshell. In the Orthodox tradition, eggs are painted red to symbolize the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. The egg-coloring tradition has continued even in modern secular nations.
The practice dates to the early Christian church in Mesopotamia. In Greece, superstitions of the past included the custom of placing the first-dyed red egg at the home's iconostasis (place where icons are displayed) to ward off evil. The heads and backs of small lambs were also marked with the red dye to protect them.
Along with rabbits, eggs have been used as fertility symbols since antiquity, and as early as the 1st century AD eggs were associated by the Christian Church with rebirth. In medieval times, eggs became one of the many foods that were prohibited during lent, in the run up to Easter.
In the Greek Orthodox tradition, dyed red eggs have marked the occasion since Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb of Jesus and discovered that he was no longer there and her snack basket of eggs turned bright red.
According to Discovery News, since ancient times, eggs and rabbits have been a symbol of fertility, while spring has been a symbol of rebirth. So even though rabbits don't lay eggs, the association of these symbols was almost natural.
According to History.com, Easter eggs represent Jesus' resurrection. However, this association came much later when Roman Catholicism became the dominant religion in Germany in the 15th century and merged with already ingrained pagan beliefs. The first Easter bunny legends were documented in the 1500s.
Why do we hide eggs at Easter? In many pre-Christian societies eggs held associations with spring and new life. Early Christians adapted these beliefs, making the egg a symbol of the resurrection and the empty shell a metaphor for Jesus' tomb.
Eggs represent new life and rebirth, and it's thought that this ancient custom became a part of Easter celebrations. In the medieval period, eating eggs was forbidden during Lent (the 40 days before Easter) so on Easter Sunday, tucking into an egg was a real treat!
Easter actually originated as an ancient pagan celebration of the spring equinox. In Christianity, the day was dedicated to observing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, celebrated around the time of the Jewish Passover.
The tradition of eating and gifting chocolate at Easter dates back centuries ago when Christian Europeans began exchanging eggs as symbols of rebirth during Lent season.
Given the symbolism of new life and rebirth, it was only natural to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at this time of the year. The naming of the celebration as “Easter” seems to go back to the name of a pre-Christian goddess in England, Eostre, who was celebrated at beginning of spring.
Modern symbols of Easter, such as the egg and the bunny, have their origins in paganism. Rabbits were the most potent symbol of fertility and the egg, the start of all life, was often thought to have magical powers.
The most prominent secular symbol of the Christian holiday, the Easter bunny, was reportedly introduced to America by the German immigrants who brought over their stories of an egg-laying hare.
Cooked traditionally in a baking tray with roasted potato and pumpkin, or given a Mediterranean bent courtesy of ingredients such as garlic, olives and lemon, lamb remains the quintessential Easter Sunday feasting meat.
The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection.
After the forty-day Lenten season concludes and Eastertide begins, eggs may be consumed again, giving rise to various Christian game traditions such as egg tapping, in which the "hard eggshell represented Christ's sealed tomb, and the cracking represented Christ's resurrection."
Legend has it that the Easter Bunny lays, decorates and hides eggs for good children, as they are also a symbol of new life. This is why some children might enjoy Easter egg hunts as part of the festival.
Why do we hide eggs at Easter? In many pre-Christian societies eggs held associations with spring and new life. Early Christians adapted these beliefs, making the egg a symbol of the resurrection and the empty shell a metaphor for Jesus' tomb.
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