With Easter Sunday tomorrow, the nation has been purchasing an abundance of Easter Eggs in recent weeks. Around 80 million are sold per year, meaning Easter Egg sales make up for 10 percent of Britain's spending on chocolate. Although the chocolatey treats are so popular, the story behind them is increasingly becoming forgotten by younger generations. So, what is the history behind Easter Eggs?
During the time Jesus was believed to be alive, many powerful religious people disliked Jesus because they believed he was taking too much of their popularity away. For this reason, some priests offered one of Jesus' disciples, Judas Iscariot, money in exchange for Judas giving Jesus over to them. Judas followed through with his promise and Jesus was eventually arrested and taken to court. He was then sentenced to death after he told them he was the son of God. Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, hours later. His body was put into a tomb that had a large, heavy rock sealing the entrance so nobody could enter. When one of Jesus' followers, Mary Magdalene, visited the tomb she found that the rock had been moved and the body wasn't inside. Shocked, she told the disciples that Jesus had risen like he had previously said he would. It's believed that Mary was even visited by Jesus who told her that he had risen and was going to heaven.
This idea of rebirth and resurrection inspired Easter Eggs since eggs symbolise new life in Christianity. However, they weren't always made of chocolate; decorating goose eggs was tradition in the Middle Ages before papier-mache versions became popular in the 18th century. In Bristol, in 1873, our beloved chocolate versions were invented by J.S Fry & Sons and the invention is even more popular and successful, nowadays.
So, now that you know the story behind Easter Eggs, try to remember it when you're enjoying your ones, tomorrow!
Wren Mathys, Langley Park School for Girls
