EASTER EGGS
People think it’s fun to proclaim Easter traditions as silly and consumerist. And yes, that may be true to some extent, but don’t you dare say anything bad about Easter Eggs! They are genius! Throughout history, eggs have been used as a symbol of rebirth, and used in many Spring traditions throughout ancient history:
Ancient Persians painted eggs in celebration of Nowrooz, their New Years celebration, which falls on the Spring Equinox. There are sculptures on the walls of Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire, depicting followers bringing eggs to the temple in celebration of the New Year.
Eggs dipped in saltwater are often the first item of food eaten during Passover Seder. Symbolic of rebirth, eggs are often served to mourners after a funeral, and are therefore used to symbolize the (non-human) sacrifices made at the Temple of Jerusalem during ancient Passover traditions.
Pre-Christian Saxons celebrated the goddess Eostre (sounds a lot like a certain holiday, eh?) with a feast on the Spring Equinox, which of course included eggs, symbolizing the rebirth of Spring. Oh, and wouldn’t you know it, the symbol of the goddess Eostre was the hare.
In Christianity, the egg is a symbol of the tomb of Jesus after his crucifixion. While appearing dormant on the outside, the hard shell of the egg represents the rock encasing the resurrected life inside. Orthodox Christian eggs are traditionally dyed red to represent the blood of Christ.
So you see, Easter Eggs make perfect sense! Maybe you might want to consider dying eggs this year. Not as a symbol of your religion, but as a celebration of humanity and the traditions that bring us together, which are more alike than we may realize. And then go buy some of those Reeses peanut butter eggs. Yum!
NOW TEACH ME SOMETHING I DON’T KNOW!
No days off for me.
Oh, and Nutella is disgusting.
Hayden: I’ve been re-immersing myself in his writing; I especially like the Books of Blood as bedtime reading. (Well, except for the nightmares. Sigh.) His way with language is superb.
2pi: I have gone back to Clive recently as well. Still catching up on things I haven’t read but can’t wait to go back to Books of Blood, and time to watch the Hellraiser movies again….
Nutella disgusting? I have nothing but awe for the people who managed to turn chocolate into a Lunch Spread.
It’s not the chocolate that bothers me, it’s the hazelnut. Bleck!
When I was 16 I was on a band tour in Europe (marching band, not rock band) and we stayed with a family in the Netherlands. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when for breakfast they served those chocolate sprinkles you put on cup cakes for your toast. So butter up some toast and cover with chocolate sprinkles. That was before Nutella or products like that had hit my little rural corner of Canada.
Nutella is yummy.
I don’t get any days off either.
Apparently, we got year-round fresh eggs not through animal husbandry but through the light bulb. Chicken biology doesn’t distinguish between artificial and natural light.
Ryan: Your just a font of chicken husbandry fact. That must get you a lot of dates.
Tam: I just read the Freakonomics blog.
Both sets of grandparents raised chickens on their dairy farms, but I had little first hand experience with that. They had mostly phased it out by the time I came around.
I grew up on a farm and have plucked more than my share of chickens but no way in hell was I putting my hand inside. Haven’t thought of that memory in a long time. Way to go Ryan. LOL