Several symbols and customs have emerged and have become popular over the course of 1,700 years in which Easter is celebrated in the world. The centuries are families of various parts of the world celebrate the largest party of Christianity in a similar way. Saturday, with the mass of the Vigil Pascal followed by the symbolic combustion of Judah and, on Sunday, through the Easter Mass and the search for colored eggs in the garden and house.
However, not everyone knows why Easter is celebrated. And the Easter rabbit figure does not help exactly, since he has nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ.
It is not known exactly how and where the custom of the Easter bunny emerged. There are several explanations for this fact. In addition to a symbol of fertility, the rabbit is also seen as a spring messenger in Europe.
Protestant tradition
The first mention of the Easter rabbit that brings eggs of the 17th century. Subsequently, in the 19th century, the symbol gained popularity in Germany, promoted by the pastry sector. According to Bonn Alois Döring’s customer, the rabbit was a Protestant invention.
“Catholic children knew that at Easter they could eat eggs again, that during Lent they were prohibited. But how to explain to Protestant children because they suddenly were so many eggs at Easter?” Döring explains.
This is the reason why the Protestants created the rabbit stories that distributed, from home to home, the eggs accumulated during the period. In addition, the rabbit was a symbol of fertility – which did not explain as an animal, as a mammal, had so many eggs.
Protestants didn’t care much about biology, but with Catholic customs how to make the faithful laugh during the Easter masses. While the Protestants celebrated the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday with great seriousness and silence, in many Catholic churches we tried to celebrate it in a holiday.
During the Baroque period, it was common until the Catholic priests counted anecdotes to the faithful. And the pulpit was often transformed into a study. “Of many sermons, you can even take beautiful passages on the painting and decoration of Easter eggs, which in the eighteenth and eighteenth centuries were common. They were becoming common,” says Döring.
An egg, two eggs, three eggs for me
Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the rabbit was not known as Easter symbol in Brazil. The custom was brought to the country by German immigrants in the southern region, between 1913 and 1920.
An old legend says that a poor woman has colored some eggs and hid them in a nest to give her children as an Easter gift. When the children discovered the nest, ran a large rabbit. Therefore, the story that the rabbit is the one who brought the eggs has been widespread.
According to the German tradition, children are looking for Easter Sunday chocolate eggs “presented and hidden by the rabbit” in the courtyard or in the garden of the house. In addition, they obtain baskets with bunny, small chocolate eggs and boiled and colorful hen with special paint. There are still several recipes of special cakes for Easter.
Easter eggs
Historians say that the custom of cooking and therefore coloring the hen eggs to be given as a gift among the ancient Egyptians, the Persians and some Germanic tribes. Today the Chinese are attributed to the millennial custom to be given relatives and friends with eggs to the spring holidays.
Already the kings and the principles of antiquity made silver and gold eggs covered with precious stones. People, without resources for such luxuries, have maintained the tradition of painting and decorating chicken eggs.
The eggs have always been considered a symbol of the new life and, therefore, of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The tradition of painting, decorating and giving eggs has existed since the dawn of Christianity.
“In the past, it was common to paint only red eggs, symbolizing both the color of the blood of Christ and that of love that nourished humanity. This is still the case in the Orthodox Church,” says Döring. “And the decoration served to distinguish eggs not good during Easter.”
Over time, many other customs have been created around the egg, such as the game to hide them.
Easter: a Christian festival
With the intention of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Easter is the main Christian festival, celebrated on the first Sunday of full moon after the European spring, that is, between March 22 and April 25th. Easter was celebrated for 1,700 years after Niceia’s first council in 325, which set the date for the party.
The central Easter message is that death is not the end of everything. “Life triumphs on death, the truth about lies, justice on injustice, love for hatred”, summarizes the doctrine of the faith of Catholic catechism.
The religious party incorporates Pessach, a Jewish celebration that recalls the crossing of the Jews of Egypt in the promised land, marked by the cross of the Red Sea.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
