Easter Egg Traditions Worldwide

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In the 11th Century, Edward I of England paid eighteen pence to gold-leaf and color 450 Easter eggs to hand out as gifts. Written documentation of the Easter egg dates back an astounding five hundred years! Although it is believed that North African tribes were coloring eggs in springtime much earlier. Eggs can be dyed using food coloring or natural herbs, dipped in wax, carved, hand-painted or jeweled. It is no surprise that such wondrous and versatile symbolism is used to celebrate Easter.

Believe it or not, symbolism of the egg appears in many cultures. In Hinduism, Brahma splits a divine golden egg to make heaven (the shell), earth (the meat), the space and water (the white), and Vishnu (the yolk). In Egyptian tradition, the god Osiris is also born from an egg, which is why priests never ate eggs. Christians, too, saw the egg as a symbol of God's mystery of birth and rebirth. Early Anglo-Saxons celebrated the egg as a sign of fertility and pagans exchanged eggs around the beginning of the year to suggest one's intentions to be reborn around spring equinox time. The Easter egg tradition has evolved over the years, blossoming from religious philosophical meanings into the edible contents of one's Easter basket.

In 14th Century Germany, children were told if they were good, the Easter Bunny would lay colored eggs in the nests they had hidden around the yard. Children would design their Easter baskets out of hats, bonnets, straw, sticks or hay and anxiously await the coming of "Oschterhase." The Easter egg was sometimes wrapped in a golden leaf or dyed with vinegar and food coloring. Some parts of Germany exchanged green eggs, while other regions decorated hollow eggs. By the 1800s, Easter eggs not only came in the traditional form, but came as egg-shaped chocolate morsels too.

While the Easter egg is undoubtedly beautiful, many children's favorite egg is made of chocolate. Kinder Surprise Eggs, manufactured by Ferrero Chocolate in Italy, began in 1972 and are sold in every country except for the US. FDA regulation prohibits that non-edible items be included in food. In a hollow chocolate Kinder Egg, a plastic capsule contains parts of a toy or puzzle that must be assembled by the recipient. This Easter candy has become so popular that a Kinder toy collecting industry popped up over the years. However, politicians in Germany are beginning to follow suit with American officials, stating that the toys may be a "health hazard," which 97% of those surveyed said was just rubbish.

In addition to Easter egg decorating, children love the thrill of the Easter egg hunt as well, where they run through the (often muddy) fields in search of the most eggs, the golden egg or the lucky egg that will be selected in a raffle following the contest. The final prize may be a hefty Easter basket full of goodies or an enormous chocolate bunny, which for a child is the crème de la crème of any Easter celebration.

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