Whenever it comes time for Easter, most children instinctively think of Easter eggs hunts! The thrill of searching for the colorful eggs, the excitement of finding where they are hidden, and the happy delight of discovering the candies stuffed inside form a big part of the day’s festivities. Did you know, though, that the Easter egg is not just a modern addition to the celebration of Easter? This fun element actually goes back quite some time - because it is, in fact, a symbolic reminder for the true meaning of Easter.

These days, Easter eggs are made of plastic and can easily be opened and filled with candy without permanently breaking the shell of the egg. In older times, however, whatever eggs people used for their Easter celebrations were real eggs and not plastic ones. Because they were already filled, the real eggs were not used to hide candy. Instead, people used them as decorations, and would often dye the shells different colors. But why did they start using eggs to celebrate Easter in the first place?

While the great feast of Easter is not on the same day every year, it always happens around early to mid Spring. At this time in the season, many different animals give birth to their young; and the eggs laid by the hens would frequently hatch, the shell breaking to reveal a lively, fluffy chick. Seeing this happen, the Catholics thought of a charming and creative parallel between the meaning of Easter and the hatching of the chicks.

The shell of the egg was a symbol of the tomb where Jesus’ Body lay for three days and nights. When the shell was broken by the chick, it represented when, in raising Himself from the dead, Jesus broke the doors of the tomb and the bonds of death. The emerging chick, a symbol of life, represented how Jesus came out of the tomb glorious and alive, conquering the death He suffered for us on the cross.

Thus, whenever using eggs to celebrate the feast of Easter, the Catholics had in them a reminder of the story of Our Lord’s resurrection.

Unfortunately, this beautiful similarity between the hatching chick and the resurrecting Savior has been mostly forgotten. Nevertheless, one can still find Catholic symbolism in the Easter festivities. The searching for the Easter eggs is like Mary Magdalen searching for Jesus’ Body when she discovered It was missing. The opening up the eggs is similar to the Holy Women looking through the broken doors of the tomb. Discovering the goods inside the eggs is alike to Jesus’ friends finding out that Jesus, the ultimate Good, had indeed risen from the dead.

So whenever you enjoy the fun of an Easter egg hunt, whether it be the search for the eggs or the finding of the candy, just remember the meaning behind the Easter egg. Then, even the fun you have will help you keep in mind the true reason for celebrating Easter - the Resurrection of the Son of God!