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Where do chocolate eggs come from?, the bells, the Easter hare or the Paschal lamb ?

Discover the history and origins of a celebration rich in symbols, today a real family celebration. An event rich in the heritage of Jewish traditions and beliefs, Christian but also pagan.

For Christians, it's a strong moment. For kids, it's a delicious moment.
Easter is one of the main Christian holidays. It takes its name from the Jewish holiday, Passover, which takes place at the same time. Two celebrations which do not, however, have the same meaning. In the Jewish religion, Passover is “the holiday party”. It commemorates the flight of the Hebrew people from Egypt, subjected to slavery during the time of Pharaoh. According to the Bible and the Book of Exodus, on Passover, the Red Sea would have opened to let Moses and the Hebrews pass, pursued by Pharaoh's troops, thus allowing them to reach the Promised Land of Israel. Passover therefore marks the birth of the people of Israel and is intended, more widely, a celebration of freedom. In Hebrew, Easter is also called “Passover” which means passage.

As for Christian Easter, they celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. According to the gospels, the death and resurrection of Christ take place at the time of the Jewish Passover, which explains why the Christian holiday takes the same name. For Christians, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, three days after his death, and the “passage” towards eternal life. It is one of the most important holidays of the year – for the Orthodox, the most important – which extends over the entire Holy Week. Easter is at the heart of the Christian faith.

Where do Easter eggs come from? ?
Some sources report that the Persians were already offering each other eggs ago 5 000 years. It was then the turn of the Gauls and the Romans. For all these pagan cultures, the egg seems to have been the emblem of life, fertility and rebirth. These traditions were later assimilated by Christianity. The Easter egg then became a symbol of resurrection. It also marks the end of the deprivations imposed by Lent.
The first painted eggs appeared in the 13th century in Europe. They are then often painted red – evoking the blood of Christ – and decorated with designs or mottos. During the Renaissance, in the royal courts, chicken eggs are replaced by golden eggs. Decorated with precious metals, gems and paintings by famous artists, these objects reached their peak at the Russian Court, with, including, the eggs of jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920).

Another explanation : as Easter Sunday marks the end of Lent, it marks the end of a period of food deprivation for practitioners. Formerly, this tradition was more respected than today. And during the 40 fasting days, the faithful did not eat eggs. At the end of the period, the believers offered each other the productions of their chickens that they had accumulated. Eggs that could be decorated, from the 15th century. As for chocolate, it would have first appeared in eggshells before all-chocolate eggs appeared in the first half of the 19th century.
The chocolate egg, him, is very recent. It was born in the 19th century, thanks to progress in refining cocoa paste heated to 50°C and the development of the first silver molds, copper or tinned iron.

Why are we talking about Easter bells? ?
In certain French regions, it is explained to children that it is the bells that bring Easter eggs. In fact, if we include the bells in this Easter legend for the youngest, this is because they play a particular role. Thus, just before Easter, from Holy Thursday, the bells of Catholic churches must be silent as a sign of mourning. To the children, It has long been said that the bells went to Rome to be blessed by the Pope. A legend less repeated today. The bells start working again and chime again during the night from Saturday to Easter Sunday to celebrate and announce the resurrection of Christ. The bells “come back” so for Easter, and, according to the legend told to children in certain regions, they brought the eggs, that they sowed on their way.

Where do the Easter hare and the Easter bunny come from? ?
In Germanic and Anglo-Saxon countries and in certain French regions, Easter hares or bunnies are supposed to bring the eggs. They are not only the emblem of fertility : they also represent the goddess who gives her name to Easter for the English and Germans, “Easter” and “Easter”.
Before Easter, Lent and Holy Week

The Last Supper.
The Last Supper and the Eucharist. In the gospels, during his last meal, Jesus blesses the bread and wine, which he presents as his “corps” and his “sang”. He then asks his disciples to perpetuate this rite in his memory., the latter allowing the remission of sins. For Christians, the eucharist is the commemoration of this meal, but also that of the sacrifice of Jesus, who thus redeems the original sin of men. Catholics believe in the real presence of Jesus in the unleavened bread and wine blessed during mass. This is the mystery of “transubstantiation”. On the other hand, Protestants only see the Eucharist as a symbolic rite.
The cup of wine and the unleavened bread. The influence of Jewish traditions on the Eucharist is evident : Passover evening, Jews indeed celebrate “Seder”, the paschal meal. On the table, appear 7 symbolic dishes, including bitter herbs to recall the suffering of the Hebrew people before their liberation, but also matzo bread. This unleavened bread is eaten in memory of the flight from Egypt during which the Hebrews did not have time to leaven the bread.. During 7 days before and after Passover, leavened bread is prohibited and replaced by “matzoth”, unleavened bread pancakes. On the Seder table is also placed a cup of wine reserved for the Prophet Elijah, whose return is expected.

The Passover lamb. Eating lamb is a tradition found in many countries. For Christians, the lamb refers to Christ, “the lamb of God” who gave his life as a sacrifice and leads the flock of God's sheep. But in the Bible, the sacrifice of the lamb is also commanded to the Hebrews, before crossing the Red Sea. With the blood of this lamb, they mark their house, thus escaping the tenth plague of Egypt, the death of newborns. A pastoral rite that nomadic people already practiced
The lamb and the sheep have always represented purity, l’innocence, justice. Formerly, it was even said that the devil could take the form of any animal except the sheep.
How to know Easter Day ?
Why does Easter Day change every year and depending on the country ? A clever calculation to know the date of Easter in advance.

For a long time, Christians celebrated Easter at the same time as the Jewish Passover, which could fall on a Sunday as well as a Monday or Saturday. Jewish Passover is in fact calculated on the lunar calendar (the month begins with the new moon) and falls on 15 Nissan, the first month of the year, straddling March and April. But in 325, the ecumenical council of Nicaea decides that Easter must now take place on a Sunday, day of the resurrection of Jesus. To do this, he established a clever calculation known as “Comput”. Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon following the first day of spring.… Like the Ascension or Pentecost, Easter is therefore a movable feast, celebrated between 22 March and the 25 April.
Another difference : for Orthodox people who use the Julian calendar and not the Gregorian calendar, spring is coming 3 April and not 20 or the 21 March. Each year, Orthodox Easter (which is also used in the singular) is therefore celebrated a few days later.

Easter today
With the secularization of society, Easter celebrations have gradually lost some of their religious significance. Easter is now synonymous with vacation, chocolate chickens and eggs. It's a family celebration, above all dedicated to the children who are leaving, Easter Sunday, hunting for eggs and other treats, dropped by the rabbit or the Easter bells. Also an opportunity for some to send Easter cards.

Hotel★★★ Gourmet restaurant Coco Lodge Majunga wishes you a happy Easter.