Why do we eat chocolate eggs at Easter?

And where did the Easter bunny and fluffy chicks come from?

Hello and welcome, and if you celebrate it, I wish you and your family a very happy Easter.

I was raised in a predominantly Christian household, but religion was never thrust upon us as children, although I do remember regularly attending Sunday School with my siblings, which I enjoyed. We learnt all about Jesus and various parables, we sang hymns and made cards at special times of the year. I also remember having a small book into which we would stick pretty stamps with colourful Bible scenes on them. I loved attending the tiny Church village sermons and being handed my treasured stamp at the end of each Sunday School class.

As a family, we would occasionally attend a Christmas Mass or visit a local Church if we were new to the area, but overall, religion sat quietly in the background of our lives with our parents guiding us through our childhood according to the beliefs of Christianity. We were taught to be respectful to others, to be honest and hard working, and I think our parents did a pretty good job. We have all grown up (apart from my older brother, who sadly died in a road accident aged twenty) to be honest, hard-working individuals, bringing up children of our own in a fair and wholesome way. I am sure our parents would have been very proud of us all.

So, why do we buy chocolate eggs at Easter time? According to English Heritage it is because eggs represent new life and rebirth, and in medieval times, eating eggs was forbidden during Lent (the 40 days before Easter) so tucking into an egg on Easter Sunday was considered to be a real treat.

This was especially true for poorer people who couldn’t afford to buy meat. Eggs were given to the church as Good Friday offerings, and villagers often gave eggs as gifts to the lord of the manor at Easter. Even royals got involved – in 1290, Edward I purchased 450 eggs, which were decorated with bright colours or even gold leaf and given out to his household.

As with so many traditions, I think we can sometimes forget the true meaning behind them. Such as the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, when he rose from the dead.

Bunnies, eggs, Easter gifts and fluffy, yellow chicks in gardening hats stem from pagan roots. They were incorporated into the celebration of Easter separately from the Christian tradition of honouring the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

While Easter eggs may once have been made from decorated hen, duck or goose eggs, today the eggs we give and receive at Easter are made for people with a sweet tooth!

The first English chocolate egg was sold by Fry’s in 1873, and Cadbury’s quickly followed them, introducing their chocolate egg in 1875. These early Easter eggs were made using dark chocolate and were smooth and plain, but in 1897 the famous Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Chocolate was first introduced. Chocolate eggs made with this new recipe were very popular and soon became Easter bestsellers.

As a child, I remember Easter being a very special time spent with Aunties, Uncles and cousins. As an Easter baby, I always thought it was a particularly fun time because, as well as small chocolate treats (Easter eggs were not as fancy or as decadent as they are today), I had birthday gifts too. The weather always seemed to perk up too at around that time of the year, so my memories are fun-filled, happy times on sunny days out with my immediate family and wider extended family.

One of the most fun things I used to do for my daughter when she was young was to arrange an Easter egg hunt in the garden. I have some great photos of her rummaging around in hedgerows and peeking under upturned flower pots to try and find them. It was always a source of great joy, both for us as parents to watch, and for her to try and find the spoils hidden by the Easter bunny.

The weather here in my corner of England is sunny and bright, interspersed with a few scudding clouds, teasing us, as ever, with its changeability. An extra treat for me as an adult, apart from tucking into a chocolate Easter egg over the holiday, is an extra day off work, so an extended 4-day weekend, which included Good Friday. It is a time to reflect, unwind with a good book and enjoy the warmer weather. And, of course, to enjoy time with our families.

I hope you are enjoying a relaxing Easter break wherever you are in the world. Do leave a comment if you have any family traditions that you would like to share.

Best wishes,