For children and adults alike, the highlight of Easter is often the egg hunt. Adults and older children enjoy hiding Easter eggs for young children to find. Squeals of delight can be found as Easter egg hunters retrieve colorful eggs, candy, and other small prizes. But you may be wondering exactly where did this delightful tradition begin? To understand this annual egg hunt, it is critical to understand the origins of the Easter egg.
The Easter egg carries with it a history of traditions and beliefs. Throughout the ages, the egg has been a symbol for fertility and re-birth, as Easter has been derived from the ancient pagan spring festivals. For many people the fun of Easter is to decorate these eggs in creative ways. They are also given to friends and loved ones as presents, and have come to represent a token of friendship. Various traditional games are played with the Easter eggs, such as the annual egg hunt.
Modern tradition has the Easter bunny hiding the eggs. Contests are also held among the children, to find the maximum number of eggs. In some communities the local Easter egg hunt becomes a large event, where thousands of people participate. While the fun of Easter hunts continues, no one appears to be exactly sure of where the tradition actually started.
Records show that there is a Medieval story, told to children that rabbits, (another fertility symbol), laid eggs in the grass. Christians in southern Germany added the practice of hiding eggs in difficult to reach places. They even went as far as to put obstacles before the hiding spots. The obstacles were meant to represent the Stations of the Cross, or the trials of Jesus, on his way to crucifixion. A favorite hiding place was among thorns, symbolizing the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus' head. The rolling of Easter eggs may have Egyptian roots (again historians are unsure), however early Christians assumed the symbolism of the rolling of eggs, as the rolling of the rock away from the entrance of Christ's tomb. ---http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Origin-of-Easter-Egg-Hunts
