Everyone knows it from childhood: At Easter, colorful eggs are hidden in nests, grass and bushes in the garden. At that time, of course, still from the Easter bunny personally – today we are smarter. Nevertheless, the tradition is carried on year after year – no matter how old we are. But most people don’t even know why Easter eggs are so colorful and why we hide them every year. We reveal it!

Why are the Easter eggs colorful?

Lent from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday already existed in the 16th century. Even then, people did not eat meat, eggs, etc. Since the hens laid eggs anyway, they were cooked to preserve them and color-coded so that they could not be confused with fresh eggs. At Easter, the sacred eggs laid during Holy Week were then given away in honor of the goddess Ostara.

And why are we actually hiding them?

There are many theories about this. The best-known is probably this: The giving away of eggs in honor of the goddess Ostara was a thorn in the side of the church. Because: Other gods were also worshiped. So the church banned the giving away of the colorful eggs, but the people ignored the ban and secretly continued the custom. Therefore, the eggs were no longer given away, but hidden.

That is why the egg is considered a symbol of resurrection

In Christianity, the egg is a symbol of fertility and rebirth. At Easter, the broken shell that breaks when the chick hatches is said to symbolize the opening of the tomb and Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday.