THE TRADITION OF EASTER EGGS: MARKETING OR CULTURE
Featuring in Holy Week is the tradition of Easter eggs. How does it come up? and what is it consisting?
Let´s do a little review about the tradition of Easter eggs: marketing or culture. We will find out if other countries also celebrate this tradition and how they live it out.
ORIGIN
It is easy to think that the marketing created this celebration, although this is the case in the present, its origin dates back to ancient times.
Until the 18th century, it could not eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent. Due to the surplus during that period, since the hens did not stop providing eggs, it was necessary to think a way not to throw them away.
One of the solutions was to cover with wax to identify them and consume them before the new ones. But on the other hand, it was dificult to consume all the eggs collected during Lent. That could be the reason why on Easter Sunday, starting gven baskets of eggs as a present.
DOES IT HAVE A MEANING?
As it was mentioned in the post DON CARNAL AND DOÑA CUARESMA the Catholic Church was very interested in transforming pagan traditions into religious ones.
"Many centuries before the birth of Christ, the exchange of eggs on the spring equinox, commemorated on March 21 in the northern hemisphere, was a custom tocelebrate the end of winter," explained Monsignor André Sampaio Oliveira, doctor in Canon Law, in an interview for the BBC.
Although on the one hand there is the need not to throw away uneaten food during Lent, the egg has its own symbology. In many cultures the egg is a symbol of fertility and new life.
It is not surprising that the arrival of spring (fertility and new life) is celebrated with eggs and the resurrection of Jesus also has eggs as one of its symbols.
PAINTING EGGS
As we have already mentioned , the eggs were waxed to distinguish them from the freshest ones. It was during the Middle Ages when it was began to decorate them. It is believed that it was a form of distinction amongst social classes, the most colorful belonged to the highest social status
This tradition had its splendor of beauty with Fabergé eggs.
TRADITION IN OTHER COUNTRIES
As the tradition of Easter eggs is not only linked to religion, there are other countries celebrating it in another way.
In England the tradition is the Easter-egg hunt . Decorated eggs are hidden in the garden and around the house and the children go out to search for them.
In Germany, it is typical to hang Easter eggs on trees which end placed at home as a symbol of good luck.
In many countries the tradition is rolling eggs down hills during the spring equinox.
