- Easter, perhaps the most widely recognized Christian holiday, employs pagan rituals and symbolism. This is in large part because the Catholic church, hoping to convert pagans, incorporated these symbols and practices. Easter eggs are an example of this. Eggs have long been a symbol of fertility and new life. People of ancient Persia, Greece and Rome dyed eggs to celebrate their New Year, which occurred on the spring equinox, and medieval Europeans presented intricately dyed eggs as gifts. In Greece, eggs are dyed crimson to represent the blood of Christ shed on the cross for the sins of mankind.
- The Easter Bunny, another symbol of fertility, is a character akin to Christmas's Santa Claus. Young children are taught that he hides the Easter eggs for them to find. This tradition comes from the German "Oschter Haws," a magical egg-laying hare. The belief was that, if children were good, Oschter Haws would lay a nest full of magical eggs for them. Children would set out their hats and bonnets in the hopes that Oschter Haws would use them as nests. This practice evolved into the eggs being hidden for a fun Easter morning tradition.
- Some Easter egg hunts involve using eggs that the children dye with their parents, usually the night before Easter Sunday. Sometimes, though, plastic eggs are used. These brightly colored eggs are hollow and connect in the middle to form a container. Parents or Easter egg hunt sponsors will fill these plastic eggs with trinkets, coins and candy. The eggs may be hidden while the children are sleeping or on Easter Sunday when they are at church or distracted.
- Families often hide Easter eggs in their backyards for their own children. Extended families, frequently gathering together to celebrate the holiday with a meal of ham or lamb, may also hold a hunt in the yard for all of the children in the family to participate. Small towns will commonly hold a city-wide egg hunt at a local park, and in larger cities this may be done in several different communities. If the weather is cold or rainy, or simply if it is a family tradition, many people will hide the eggs inside of the home.
- Hollow plastic eggs, instead of hard-boiled ones, are a wise choice, especially indoors, if you are concerned about the possibility of not finding all the eggs. When hiding the eggs, you might want to keep a master list of where they are placed including the colors of the eggs. Place eggs in locations of different height and ease of discovery. Encourage older children to allow littler ones to find those easier treasures.
