Best Answer (from Wikipedia)
The custom of creating and giving out "Easter" eggs pre-dates Christianity. The egg is widely used as a symbol of the start of new life, just as new life emerges from an egg when the chick hatches out. It was an integral part of any spring (vernal equinox) celebrations, and became incorporated in Christian practices.
The ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz, their New Year celebration, which falls on the Spring equinox. At the Jewish Passover Seder, a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water symbolizes both new life and the Passover sacrifice offered at the Temple in Jerusalem.
The pre-Christian Saxons had a spring goddess called Eostre, whose feast was held on the Vernal Equinox, around 21 March. Eostre was associated with eggs, and the rebirth of the land in spring was symbolized by the egg.
The pre-christian slavs decorated eggs with beeswax and dyes in spring for talismanic reasons. These eggs, with the proper designs drawn on them, were used to bless and protect each household, and given as gifts to friends and family to confer blessings onto them. Symbols utilized include depictions of the sun, rain, harvest and the Berehynia (mother goddess).
Pope Gregory the Great ordered his missionaries to use old religious sites and festivals and absorb them into Christian rituals where possible. The Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ was ideally suited to be merged with the Pagan feast of Eostre and many of the traditions were adopted into the Christian festivities.
Additionally, the practices of the Great Lent which preceded Easter included abstention from consuming meat, milk and eggs. The eggs were set aside, and then prepared for and consumed on Easter itself
Stupidest Answer (soljablue on Yahoo Answers)
the Easter Bunny and her eggs are not just a Pagan myth, which the Roman Church stole to gain acceptance and trust with the unconverted during medieval times. Cool as, I spelled that correctly. No, the Easter Bunny was a real creature, which, through a genetic quirk, layed eggs. At one time there were loads of the little blighters all over the place, leaving their little chocolate ovoids in their wake. But during the great knicker shortage, 632BC-529BC, the Easter Bunny was hunted to near extinction for it's luxuriant coat, which happened to make a very nice, soft and warm pair of knickers. When all looked doomed for the Bunny, some Pagan Holy Rollers had a bit of a chin wag about the demise of the little furball, and decided to make it a sin against Gaia, to kill any more Easter Bunnies. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, and the very last true Easter Bunny passed away, some three hundred years after the edict was deeded. It is believed he is buried under Stonehenge, surrounded by thirteen golden eggs, each one a representation of the thirteen months of the lunar calendar. Since his death, every year on the anniversary, we Pagans celibrate his life, by handing out Golden covered chocolate eggs and bunny figurines. We miss him, but we really love him in chocolate form. I know I do.
Most realistic answer:
In the not so long ago times, egg shells were painted and candy hidden in them as part of the easter egg hunt ( a children's game). The miracles of modern marketing have promoted chocolate sales by producing choclate eggs as replacements for those who no longer have the time and patience to collect the whole egg shells wash them, paint them and then stuff them with candy.... Used to be an enjoyable pasttime that required skill .. But now chocolate manufactures have done this for us giving us more time to enjoy Easter... But since we now have to work to make money to buy the eggs we are actually worse off than before..
The custom of creating and giving out "Easter" eggs pre-dates Christianity. The egg is widely used as a symbol of the start of new life, just as new life emerges from an egg when the chick hatches out. It was an integral part of any spring (vernal equinox) celebrations, and became incorporated in Christian practices.
The ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz, their New Year celebration, which falls on the Spring equinox. At the Jewish Passover Seder, a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water symbolizes both new life and the Passover sacrifice offered at the Temple in Jerusalem.
The pre-Christian Saxons had a spring goddess called Eostre, whose feast was held on the Vernal Equinox, around 21 March. Eostre was associated with eggs, and the rebirth of the land in spring was symbolized by the egg.
The pre-christian slavs decorated eggs with beeswax and dyes in spring for talismanic reasons. These eggs, with the proper designs drawn on them, were used to bless and protect each household, and given as gifts to friends and family to confer blessings onto them. Symbols utilized include depictions of the sun, rain, harvest and the Berehynia (mother goddess).
Pope Gregory the Great ordered his missionaries to use old religious sites and festivals and absorb them into Christian rituals where possible. The Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ was ideally suited to be merged with the Pagan feast of Eostre and many of the traditions were adopted into the Christian festivities.
Additionally, the practices of the Great Lent which preceded Easter included abstention from consuming meat, milk and eggs. The eggs were set aside, and then prepared for and consumed on Easter itself
Stupidest Answer (soljablue on Yahoo Answers)
the Easter Bunny and her eggs are not just a Pagan myth, which the Roman Church stole to gain acceptance and trust with the unconverted during medieval times. Cool as, I spelled that correctly. No, the Easter Bunny was a real creature, which, through a genetic quirk, layed eggs. At one time there were loads of the little blighters all over the place, leaving their little chocolate ovoids in their wake. But during the great knicker shortage, 632BC-529BC, the Easter Bunny was hunted to near extinction for it's luxuriant coat, which happened to make a very nice, soft and warm pair of knickers. When all looked doomed for the Bunny, some Pagan Holy Rollers had a bit of a chin wag about the demise of the little furball, and decided to make it a sin against Gaia, to kill any more Easter Bunnies. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, and the very last true Easter Bunny passed away, some three hundred years after the edict was deeded. It is believed he is buried under Stonehenge, surrounded by thirteen golden eggs, each one a representation of the thirteen months of the lunar calendar. Since his death, every year on the anniversary, we Pagans celibrate his life, by handing out Golden covered chocolate eggs and bunny figurines. We miss him, but we really love him in chocolate form. I know I do.
Most realistic answer:
In the not so long ago times, egg shells were painted and candy hidden in them as part of the easter egg hunt ( a children's game). The miracles of modern marketing have promoted chocolate sales by producing choclate eggs as replacements for those who no longer have the time and patience to collect the whole egg shells wash them, paint them and then stuff them with candy.... Used to be an enjoyable pasttime that required skill .. But now chocolate manufactures have done this for us giving us more time to enjoy Easter... But since we now have to work to make money to buy the eggs we are actually worse off than before..
