What Is the Origin of Candy at Easter?
Chocolate bunnies and eggs full of jelly beans have become Easter staples. A mixture of the pagan springtime festival and the breaking of the Lenten fast led to the tradition of sweet treats for Easter. Does this Spark an idea?
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Hot Cross Buns
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During the 16th century, English bakers made hot cross buns for Good Friday, one of the few occasions for which they were allowed to make the special dough used in these treats. The icing cross atop the bun was said to represent the holy cross, and British monks made a tradition of giving hot cross buns to the poor on Good Friday.
Chocolate
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During the 1800s, chocolatiers began making chocolate eggs during Easter in an effort to sell more of the popular treat. By the 1960s, chocolate eggs had become a worldwide Easter tradition, and, in the 20th century, chocolate bunnies, birds and other Easter symbols appeared as well.
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Jellybeans
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Jellybeans began to be associated with Easter in the 1930s because of their egg-like shape and bright, spring colors.
Peeps
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The Just Born Company began making yellow marshmallow chicks in 1953, and these sugary confections became a hit at Easter. In the 1960s, bunny-shaped Peeps began to appear, and Peeps can now be found in a variety of shapes and colors every Easter.
Fun Facts
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Pretzels were associated with Easter when they first appeared, as their twisted
shape was said to represent arms crossed in prayer. Americans spend $1.9 billion on Easter candy each year. If all the jellybeans eaten during Easter each year were lined up end to end, they would circle the globe three times.
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