Why Do They Paint And Beat Eggs On Easter, Where Did The Tradition Come From?

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Easter eggs: why are they painted and beaten?

Have you ever wondered why it is customary to paint and break eggs on Easter? Why didn't some other object - for example, an onion or an apple - become a symbol of the resurrection? This tradition has a rich history, and now we will briefly go over it.

Why exactly an egg

The egg became the symbol of Christ's Resurrection for a reason. This item symbolizes the tomb in which the body of Jesus was buried. In ancient Palestine, tombs were caves filled with stones. Tradition says that the stone with which the entrance to the tomb of Christ was closed was shaped like an egg. Therefore, breaking the shells at Easter, Christians symbolically repeat the liberation and resurrection of Jesus.

But the popular game of navbitki is not quite a Christian tradition. This is an ancient Slavic game that was widespread even before the appearance of Christianity in Russia. People slammed eggs against each other and looked who would survive such a test better. The winner (the one whose shell turned out to be more intact) took the testicle of the defeated one for himself.

Why paint eggs

Initially, Easter eggs were painted only red. It symbolized the sacrificial blood of Jesus, his suffering before death, atoned for the sins of all people. The red color also indicates the royalty, the authority of Christ. You've probably heard the expression "royal purple" - red has always been a symbol of ruling persons.

But as time went on, people began to get creative with decorating Easter eggs. They began to paint them in various colors and paint. Then the usual chicken eggs were replaced by chocolate, wooden and even gold eggs.

Faberge eggs are also an Easter symbol

There is a legend that explains in a different way the coloring of eggs in red. After the Resurrection Mary Magdalene went to preach and once came to the Roman emperor Tiberius. She handed him a white hen's egg as a gift and said: "Christ is risen!" To which the emperor laughed and said - as the egg is white, not red, so people are mortal and do not rise. And at the same moment the testicle in Magdalene's hand turned red.

There is another, more prosaic version of this legend. Mary came to the emperor with an egg, already colored red. She was poor, and therefore could not afford another gift. And the red color, according to her idea, was to attract the attention of the emperor.

The tradition of giving eggs is very ancient and dates back to the very origins of Christianity, if not earlier. Now it has changed somewhat, and therefore not everyone knows its true meaning.