The Origin of Easter Eggs

Giving out Chocolate Easter eggs as gifts is one way of celebrating Easter and spreading happiness, love and kindness among everyone. I particularly have a vivid memory of receiving a caramel filled, Easter egg when I was a lot younger; hard chocolate on the outside, soft and mouthwatering on the inside. I savored every moment as I ate the delicious treat. During the Easter season, some shops fill up with chocolates that take up the form of eggs, also known as Easter eggs. They are usually covered in colourful shinny wrappers that are aimed to catch the eye of every passerby. Although this practice is more popular in the west, it is slowly being discovered its place in Rwanda. The most expressed symbol associated with the Easter egg is the symbol of fertility and new life. This symbol derives from an old Latin proverb: “Omne vivum ex ovo”. This in English translates “all life comes from an egg”. There are reports of myths that suggest that the whole universe was created out of an egg, actually in numerous ancient cultures eggs were viewed as a symbol of life. The egg is a symbol of new life just as a chick might hatch from the egg. Particularly in the west, the customs and traditions of using eggs have been associated with Easter for centuries. When the Easter egg tradition first begun chicken eggs were specially skillfully decorated with dyes or paints, and distributed to celebrate the special season, however this tradition has modernised and commercialised into one where chicken eggs are substituted by chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with sweets. However we need to be mindful not to lose ourselves in Easter eggs and other man- invented Easter traditions, but rather reflect on the true meaning of this season! Ends