Why do we eat and hide eggs during Easter?
Easter is a wonderful period filled with traditions and where you get together with loved ones. As we continue to follow those traditions for such a long time, we sometimes forget about the meaning behind them. What is the reason that we eat and hide eggs during Easter? And what does chocolate actually have to do with Easter eggs?
The spring festival as a precursor to Easter
Ostara was the goddess of dawn, life and fertility. At the start of spring, her return was lavishly celebrated by the Germans. This festival of Ostara is seen as a precursor to the Christian Easter, where the resurrection of Jesus holds on to the symbolism that spring brings new beginnings and new life. Ancient customs of the Ostara festival are linked to today's Easter. At the time, eggs were offered as a sacrifice by the Germans by burying them in their fields, in the hope that the goddess Ostara would provide a bountiful harvest. Today, this tradition is continued by the little ones among us, eager to find hidden eggs.
A large stock of eggs
In both the Germanic festival and Christianity, the egg symbolizes fertility and new life. Yet the tradition of eating eggs serves a much more practical function than you might expect. Forty days before Easter, a period of fasting begins. They spare themselves from meat, dairy, and eggs, while chickens start laying more eggs at this time of year because the days are getting longer. You can imagine that at the end of the fast a large supply of eggs had formed. Easter, the day that the Lent period ended, therefore had a lot of eggs on the menu. To keep track of how old the eggs were, the eggs were painted in a certain color.
Eggs made of chocolate
In the 18th century, the Paris confectioners thought it was time for a more luxurious version of the eggs. They created the chocolate egg, that was made in the mold of a real egg. A version that is so delicious that we gladly turned this treat into a tradition.
Whatever you celebrate, Easter is a time to be together and to create memories. Looking forward to making these days extra special? Book a wonderful stay in one of our Pillows Hotels and enjoy extensive Easter brunches and warm and elegant hotel rooms.
