Please forgive my ignorance but could someone please tell me the significance of Easter eggs at Easter.

[LadyTophamHatt]

I think I have a vague idea but will wait for it to be confirmed incase it makes me look a fool.

[Dior]

Isn't it a symbol of the rebirth of Christ, mingled in with a symbol of spring?

[LadyTophamHatt]

thats part of what my vague idea is....is there any further significance?

[Blandmum]

Life from seemingly dead objects. The egg symbolises Chist's rise from the dead of the tomb, as life arrises from an object which seems to be dead. (eggs are not 'dead' bu ykwim)

[LadyTophamHatt]

the tomb bit is another part of my vague idea.....



I may as well tell you the rest.
I can remember(quite vividly) as a child being told that the entrance of the tomb was closed off with a large stone/boulder and that the stone was egg shaped.
Now is that right or is my mind playing tricks on me?

[DumbledoresGirl]

Nothing to do with Christ specifically. they are a sign of new life so sometimes people twist that to fit the resurrection of Jesus, but they are not a Christian symbol as such.

[Dior]

Not something I have heard. Could be though.

[DumbledoresGirl]

This site seems to agree with me that eggs are from a pagan tradition that predates Easter.

\link{http://wilstar.com/holidays/easter.htm\Here}

[shrimpy169]

the giving of eggs goes back to around 900BC in China ie predates easter...however it does fit with Christian message of easter 1.symbol of re-birth already been mentioned 2.big stone rolled in front of Jesus tomb was rolled away on easter monday as Jesus had risen from the dead -> traditionally children would decorate eggs and roll them down slopes to symbolise this...then chocolate folk saw a money spinning idea and thought lets make chocolate eggs and make it all really commercial!

[LadyTophamHatt]

shrimpy...thats it!
the big stone rolled away from the tomb.



I'm so glad I not making it up!

[Tommy]

LadyTophamhatt - I have heard that too about the stone infront of the tomb.
I prefer the "new life" theory myself!

[LadyTophamHatt]

Phew...thanks Tommy, another MN confirming I'm not mad.


The reason I ask is that I was talking about with Ds1 today and he said in roundabout way about new life( he's 6 so it really way a roundabout way ie, all animals lay eggs on easter day) and I mentioned about the tomb and stone etc and he said his teacher hadn't said that.
Maybe that party of the bible abit too scary for 6 yr olds....

[zippitippitoes]

isn't it also related to the using up of these on Shrove tuesday and then celebrating their re introduction on easte Sunday

[SaintGeorge]

Just another of our Pagan traditions that the Christian church nicked and conveniently found a reason for.

[Tommy]

not too scarey for my 4 year old! He's obsessed with the Easter story at the moment. Dh very put out tonight that he had to read it to him at bedtime because normally I do all that sort of thing

[spidermama]

I think this is the best example of early Christians shoe horning existing festivals and their symbols to suit their own doctrine.

[expatinscotland]

It was my understanding it's a pagan throwback.

[Greensleeves]

The eggs predate Christianity - the decorated egg is a pagan tradition celebrating birth and new life - Easter is named after the pagan goddess Eostre (as in oestrogen).

[crunchie]

Total pagan throwback :)

Also in Judidasm we have eggs on teh seder table to symbolise spring. So the egg thing certainly is not a Christian thing.

My question though, is why does the Easter BUNNY bring you eggs :) I mean birds lay eggs, not bunnies???

[SaintGeorge]

It should be a hare, not a rabbit. It is one of the symbols associated with Eostre.

[spidermama]

I always assumed it's because bunnies are fertile and this time of year is all about fecundity. I may well have made that up all by myself though.

[harpsichordcarrier]

the bunny is a symbol of spring because they shag a lot and have lots of babies
fertility etc
see also the may pole (phallic symbol)
like Christmas. it's another pagan festival hijacked by the christian church who then get all humpty about the Real Meaning

[ShaysMummy]

i believe thay resemble new life, like lambs being born and all the greenery regrowing.
everything flourished in the spring and is 'reborn'.
or something like that.

[SaintGeorge]

March Hares - they are one of the most vivid signs of the coming of Spring with their wild mating dances.

Ostara (or Eostre) is celebrated in March in the Pagan calendar, moving by a day or two only depending on the moon. Unlike Easter which can move between a wider spread of dates. Strange really considering it is supposedly a fixed event, ie the resurrection.

[Pruni]

Fertilitay.

[FrannyandZooey]

Yes it was a hare to begin with. Eostre is represented by the hare, which I think I am right in saying is traditionally the messenger of the moon. Hot cross buns also seem to nod to the moon with their 4 quartered sections. The moon obviously brings in the whole notion of female fertility quite nicely. It's a great festival - shagging and babies :)

Rolling the stone from the tomb my foot!