Dr. Precious

When you think of Easter, whether you are religious or not, what family traditions come to mind? I am sure everyone will think of the colored Easter Eggs, the Easter Baskets filled with goodies, Easter Lilies that decorate tables and other places, nice clothes to wear, and the traditional Easter dinners. We all may have some memories of times past about Easter.

The Easter Egg! According to the Easter Book by Francis X. Weiser, S.J., “The origin of the Easter egg is based on the fertility lore of the Indo-European races. To our pre-Christian ancestors, it was a startling event to see a live creature emerge from a seemingly dead objet. The egg became a symbol of Spring. Long ago in Persia, people used to present to each other eggs at the Spring Equinox, which for them also marked the beginning of a new year.”

In Judaism, eggs are an important part of the Passover Seder plate. For some Christians, the egg symbolizes the rock tomb out of which Christ emerged to the new life of His Resurrection. Also, there was a practical reason why eggs became popular at Easter. They were forbidden during the 40 days of Lent. However, chickens still laid eggs, so people started to collect and decorate them.

With faithful Orthodox Christians, crimson colored eggs are presented to each other in honor of the blood of Christ. In parts of Eastern Europe, its tradition is to create intricate designs on the egg with wax or twine before coloring, called pysanki. These special eggs are saved from year to year like symbolic heirlooms and can be seen seasonally in Ukrainian shops. In Germany and other countries, the eggs are pierced and made hollow so that they can be suspended from shrubs and trees during Easter Week, much like on a Christmas tree.

Many countries and venues, such as churches, clubs, and special organizstions have Easter hunts and games for family and friend to participate. Every year in Washington, D. C, there is an egg-rolling party on the land of the White House. This custom is traced back to Sunday School picnics and parades at Easter before the Civil War. We will be celebrating at SBC with an Easter Egg Hunt with food, games, and lots of Fun on the Campus of SBC, Sunday, April 5, 2020, from 1:00 P. M. to 2:00 P. M.

Reference The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 2020, founded in 1792 by Robert B. Thomas, compliments of Boys Town, USA