The egg is nature's perfect package. It has, during the span of
history, represented mystery, magic, medicine, food and omen.
It is the universal symbol of Easter celebrations throughout the
world and has been dyed, painted, adorned and embellished in the
celebration of its special symbolism.
Before the egg became closely entwined with the Christian Easter,
it was honored during many rite-of- Spring festivals. The Romans,
Gauls, Chinese, Egyptians and Persians all cherished the egg as
a symbol of the universe. From ancient times eggs were dyed,
exchanged and shown reverence. In Pagan times the egg represented
the rebirth of the earth. The long, hard winter was over; the
earth burst forth and was reborn just as the egg miraculously
burst forth
with life. The egg, therefore, was believed to have special
powers.
It was buried under the foundations of buildings to ward off
evil;
pregnant young Roman women carried an egg on their persons to
foretell the sex of their unborn children; French brides stepped
upon an egg before crossing the threshold of their new homes.
With the advent of Chrisianity the symbolism of the egg changed
to represent, not nature's rebirth, but the rebirth of man.
Christians embraced the egg symbol and likened it to the tomb
from which Christ rose. Old Polish legends blended folklore and
Christian
beliefs and firmly attached the egg to the Easter celebration.
One legend concerns the Virgin Mary. It tells of the time Mary
gave eggs to the soldiers at the cross. She entreated them to
be less cruel and she wept. The tears of Mary fell upon the eggs,
spotting them with dots of brilliant color. Another Polish legend
tells of when Mary Magdalen went to the sepulchre to anoint the
body of Jesus. She had with her a basket of eggs to serve as a
repast. When she arrived at the sepulchre and uncovered the eggs,
lo, the pure white shells had miraculously taken on a rainbow
of colors.
Decorating and coloring eggs for Easter was the custom in England
during the middle ages. The household accounts of Edward I, for
the year 1290, recorded an expenditure of eighteen pence for four
hundred and fifty eggs to be gold-leafed and colored for Easter
gifts. The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by
the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the Russian
Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter
gift for his wife, the Empress Marie. The first Faberge egg was
an egg within an egg. It had an outside shell of platinum and
enameled white which opened to reveal a smaller gold egg. The
smaller egg, in turn, opened to display a golden chicken and a
jeweled replica of the Imperial crown. This special Faberge egg
so delighted the Czarina that the Czar promptly ordered the
Faberge
firm to design further eggs to be delivered every Easter. In
later
years Nicholas II, Alexander's son, continued the custom.
Fifty-seven eggs were made in all. Ornamental egg designers
believe in the symbolism of the egg and celebrate the egg by
decorating it with superb artistry. Some use flowers and leaves
from greeting cards, tiny cherubs, jewels and elegant fabrics,
braids and trims, to adorn the eggs. They are separated,
delicately hinged and glued
with epoxy and transparent cement, then when completed, they are
covered with a glossy resin finish.
Eggs Of all the symbols associated with Easter the egg, the
symbol
of fertility and new life, is the most identifiable. The customs
and traditions of using eggs have been associated with Easter
for centuries. Originally Easter eggs were painted with bright
colors to represent the sunlight of spring and were used in
Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts. After they were
colored and etched with various designs the eggs were exchanged
by lovers and romantic admirers, much the same as valentines. In
medieval time eggs were traditionally given at Easter to the
servants.
In Germany eggs were given to children along with other Easter
gifts. Different cultures have developed their own ways of
decorating Easter eggs. Crimson eggs, to honor the blood of
Christ, are exchanged in Greece. In parts of Germany and Austria
green eggs are used on Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday). Slavic
peoples decorate their eggs in special patterns of gold and
silver. Austrian artists
design patterns by fastening ferns and tiny plants around the
eggs, which are then boiled. The plants are then removed
revealing
a striking white pattern. The Poles and Ukrainians decorate eggs
with simple designs and colors. A number of eggs are made in the
distinctive manner called pysanki (to design, to write). Pysanki
eggs are a masterpiece of skill and workmanship. Melted beeswax
is applied to the fresh white egg. It is then dipped in
successive
baths of dye. After each dip wax is painted over the area where
the preceding color is to remain. Eventually a complex pattern
of lines and colors emerges into a work of art.
In Germany and other countries eggs used for cooking where not
broken, but the contents were removed by piercing the end of each
egg with a needle and blowing the contents into a bowl. The
hollow
eggs were died and hung from shrubs and trees during the Easter
Week. The Armenians would decorate hollow eggs with pictures of
Christ, the Virgin Mary, and other religious designs. Easter Egg
Games Eggs play an important part in Easter sports.
The Romans celebrated the Easter season by running races on an
oval track and giving eggs as prizes. Two traditional Easter egg
games are the Easter Egg Hunt and the Easter Egg Roll. On Easter
morning the children of the house join in a search to locate the
eggs that the Easter Bunny had hidden while they where asleep.
The searching might continue though out the house with the older
children helping the youngest. Sometimes prizes of candy are
awaiting the child finding the most eggs. Easter egg hunts can
are also part of a community's celebration of holiday. The eggs
are hidden in public places and the children of the community are
invited to find the eggs. The rules of an Easter Egg Roll are to
see who can roll an egg the greatest distance or can make the
roll without breaking it, usually down a grassy hillside or
slope. Maybe the most famous egg rolling takes place on the White
House Lawn. Hundreds of children come with baskets filled with
brightly decorated eggs and roll them down the famous lawn,
hoping the President of the United States is watching the fun.
Although the omens and the mystery of the egg have disappeared
today, the symbolism remains, and artists continue in the old
world tradition of adorning eggs.
Graphics from:
MHC
