Symbolism and Beliefs About Easter Eggs

Giving and receiving Easter eggs is a common and well known tradition at Easter in the Western world.  Even for those who do not celebrate Easter as a religious event, but rather celebrate it as a holiday, they will not doubt participate in this long standing tradition.  As with all traditions, Easter eggs have a history of origin and are also symbolically linked to Christian beliefs and symbolism.  There are several thoughts on the symbolism and origin of Easter eggs.  Here a just a few of the beliefs that relate to this topic.

• Circles are hugely symbolic in Christianity. As circles are continuous, that is that they have no beginning and they have no end, they are used to represent eternal life and the never ending love of Jesus.  Similarly, due to their shape, some people believe that this is why eggs have become so symbolic at Easter time.
• Others believe that the egg is a representation of the tombstone.  Christ was crucified on the cross and was buried in a tomb, the entrance of which was a tombstone.  When Jesus’ mother and the apostles visited the tomb, several days after his crucifixion, they discovered that the tombstone had been removed and Jesus was gone.  This is the basis of Christian beliefs that Jesus died as our saviour and rose again after his death, giving us eternal life in the Kingdom of God.  Easter is celebrated to mark this event in the Christian calendar.
• Finally, some people believe that the egg is used to represent the circle of life, new life and new beginnings, as it is from an egg where creatures make their beginnings in life. 
• It is thought that the Easter egg was not originally a Christian symbol at all, but a symbol used by Pagan’s to represent the rebirth of the Earth.  It was later adopted by Christians.
• Easter eggs were once given as simply hand painted hard boiled eggs or as ‘blown’ eggs that had been decorated.  Blown eggs are where the ends of the eggs are pierced with a pin and the insides of the egg are gently blown out, leaving just the shell behind.  This is a very delicate and difficult task to complete.
• Eggs were traditionally given as a food gift at Easter as they were a food that could not be eaten during the period of Lent.  Giving eggs represented the end of Lent.