Definition of Easter Egg

Giving an Easter egg is part of a tradition characteristic of Christianity. In relation to its origin, historians do not agree on the precise moment in which this tradition began. However, it is considered that this custom began in the Middle Ages in Europe.

A ban to be released on Sunday

In the Middle Ages the prohibition of consuming eggs during Lent had already been consolidated. This prohibition had a meaning, since Lent is a period of spiritual recollection in which believers had to prepare for Easter, the commemoration of the resurrection of Christ. As eggs could not be consumed, they accumulated for days. For this reason, you had to find one solution to the large quantity of stored eggs. The solution found consisted in giving away the accumulated eggs on Easter Sunday, when the Lenten period has already ended and the ban is no longer in force.

The egg that was given had a value symbolic very remarkable. On the one hand, Easter Sunday coincided with the beginning of the

spring, which represents the flowering of life. From a religious point of view, the resurrection of Christ represents a message of salvation for Christians, that is, the belief in a new life beyond the earthly.

Incorporating chocolate

For centuries the tradition of giving Easter eggs was maintained. However, from the 18th century on, a significant change was incorporated: the eggs were emptied and filled with chocolate.

A chocolate phenomenon

It must be borne in mind that at that time chocolate from America was already a known product throughout the world. In this way, the chocolate Easter egg became a very popular gift in Spain, especially throughout the Mediterranean area (Valencia, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands).

For this reason, during Easter, pastry chefs and confectioners decorate chocolate eggs in an artisanal way and with figures very striking decorative. And on Easter Sunday the kids They receive a chocolate Easter egg from their godfather as a very special gift. Interestingly, these eggs are known as Easter monas, and the word mona comes from the Arabic term munna, a gift that Muslims offered to their lords. This custom also exists among Orthodox Russians, in Italy and France, but it is in Spain where this holiday is most deeply rooted.

Easter Egg Themes