The Great Triond Easter Egg Hunt
by Call it Easter, Spring Holiday, or whatever you want, it marks the end of winter and the start of summer with all those new shoots, nesting birds and spring lambs in the fields. Easter eggs have long been a symbol of renewal and new life.
Within the Christian Church Easter is the festival which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, but the actual Easter festival existed long before Christianity.
Eostre was the old Anglo Saxon goddess of the spring and the month of April was called ‘Eostremonat.’ Easter became the name of the Christian festival that took place around this time. Before this the festival was called ‘Pasch’ which is still its correct name in most non-English languages.
Around the year 200, Christian missionaries were trying to convert the people of Northern Europe to their faith. They noticed that Easter was at the same time as the Teutonic festival of spring which also celebrated new life, so they absorbed the traditional symbols like eggs, rabbits and chickens, into the Christian celebration.
The idea of Easter eggs came about because people were not allowed to eat eggs during the 40 day period before Easter which is called Lent and when Easter arrived everyone was given an egg to eat.
Some of the most intricately patterned and designed Easter eggs have come from Poland and Ukraine, where white eggs were covered in a wax design and then dipped into dye. The wax was then applied again in different places and the eggs dipped in another colour, and so forth. The resulting designs are very beautiful.
The idea of the Easter Bunny, Hare, or Rabbit, comes from Germany where the hare was seen as a fertility symbol and linked to rebirth. Old stories of a giant hare that laid eggs for children to go out and collect exist in various forms within German folklore.
Today, coloured and dyed eggs are still a common sight on the Easter table and in Northern England are called pace eggs. (From the word ‘pasche’.) However, best of all is the chocolate Easter egg with its colourful wrapping.
Happy Easter, Happy Spring Holiday, whatever you call it, doesn’t matter, just enjoy it!
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Post CommentLouie Jerome
On April 10, 2009 at 3:57 am
All the pictures used here were properly sourced, however, Triond removed that information from them. (All these are in the public domain.)
Uma Shankari
On April 10, 2009 at 4:30 am
Superb pictures and and an equally interesting article.
Glynis Smy
On April 10, 2009 at 4:38 am
Gosh unlike Triond to do that, they usually send back and request sources!! ;0
Good article, here in Cyprus it is Easter 17th April 2009, we will be dyeing hard boiled eggs red and playing a game where you crack them against your opponent’s, the person with the non cracked egg is the winner and good fortune is with them all year.
Christine Ramsay
On April 10, 2009 at 5:51 am
An enjoyable and informative read. I have been to an Easter egg hunt at the school where I taught and my husband tells me that he used to roll painted eggs down the hillside in a race on Good Friday. Have a great Easter.
Christine
C Jordan
On April 10, 2009 at 6:12 am
A cracking read, eggsactly right for this time of year. (Sorry about the bad yolk!).
Interestingly: Pancake Tuesday is the day before Lent(in the UK) an opportunity to use up all the eggs before the start of Lent. Easter Monday is a time around this part of Lancashire when traditionally children roll their eggs down a hill. In Preston this has happened for decades in the city’s Avenham Park.
Some say that the rolling of the egg signifies the rolling away of the rock at the entrance to Christ’s tomb
Daisy Peasblossom
On April 10, 2009 at 8:03 am
I suspect that if we wanted to do some digging, the custom is older than that. Where ever the customs come from, watching young children enjoy fresh spring air and a special holiday is wonderful. Our school’s preschool had an egg-hunt. The littles and their younger siblings were adorable with their baskets and bright dress-up clothes.
BC Doan
On April 10, 2009 at 8:30 am
Beautiful photos selection, and great information! Love it!
Fegger
On April 10, 2009 at 9:21 am
So many have previously scrambled this information; and the fact that you have poached it from logical sources makes it a very worthwhile read, as always. Thanks again for taking the time (and I’m certain it was more than 3 minutes) and putting this together for us.
Darlene McFarlane
On April 10, 2009 at 9:52 am
I enjoyed your article very much, Louie and the history is fascinating. I have often wondered where the egg tradition came from and wondered even longer about the Easter Bunny.
As usual you have given us a very interesting and well put together
account.
Thank you
Betty Carew
On April 10, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Delightful article with some very interesting information. Lovely read Louie
Inna Tysoe
On April 10, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Interesting.
Thanks,
Inna
George W Whitehead
On April 11, 2009 at 1:01 am
A wonderfully written and illustrated article, Louie.
Joie Schmidt
On April 11, 2009 at 1:18 am
I LOVE all these pictures! Nice article!
Blessings.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
Judy Sheldon
On April 11, 2009 at 10:41 am
Wonderful read. I loved the pictures. I went to an exhibit in NY of Russian eggs and they were exquisite. The eggs were worth thousands and had to be guarded.
Lex92
On April 11, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I love the pictures:) I didn’t know so much thought went into Easter
maranatha
On April 12, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Awesome photos! My mother was an artist; she painted sseveral intricate blown eggs, one of which I still have.