101_4-2012.pdf

engraved ...) to the noble of their court. The most famous eggs are FabergĂŠ eggs. Thus the tradition of Easter eggs is not just commercial but well an old tradition.

The Easter Chicken Where do the eggs come from? From the chicken... so, as the chicken gives her eggs (decorated or not) it's an essential Easter symbol. The Easter chicken custom is popular in many countries but originated from Austria. Today, it is often symbolized by a chicken made out of chocolate.

Depending of the country, the Easter chicken is replaced by chicks, cock, stork, cuckoo, etc.

The Easter Bunny The first animal that has been associated to Easter was not the rabbit but well the hare. The hare is an animal symbolizing abundance, proliferation and renewal. He was regarded as an animal very prolific, especially in the spring and was a symbol of life and fertility. It may have its origins in an ancient oriental culture. The rabbit was the symbol of Eastre, the Saxon goddess. The idea of the rabbit as a part of Christian tradition was introduced in colonial days by the Germans. The hare and the rabbit were associated to the Easter eggs for the first time in Alsace and Germany six centuries ago. In some countries, Children are taught that the Easter Bunny brings treats on the night before Easter. The eggs, rabbits and chocolate are closely linked!

The Lamb In the New Testament, Jesus is often identified with the lamb, and especially the paschal lamb, as there is a parallel between his death and that of the paschal lamb - the lamb, is sacrificed in both western and eastern religions. By the blood of Jesus Christ, the people of God is released from death and can enter into a new life. And so, in