However, the tradition of painting hard-boiled eggs during springtime predates Christianity. In many cultures around the world, the egg is a symbol of new life, fertility and rebirth. For thousands of years, Iranians and others have decorated eggs on Nowruz, the Iranian New Year that falls on the spring equinox.
Some claim that the Easter egg has pagan roots. Before Christians celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, some argue ancient pagans in Europe observed the Spring Equinox as the return of the sun God ― a rebirth of light and an emergence from the lean winter. Some also point to the Venerable Bede, an English monk who wrote the first history of Christianity in England, for evidence of this connection. Bede argued that even the word Easter derived from a pagan fertility goddess named “Eostre” in English and Germanic cultures. Scholars have since noted that there is little to no evidence of such a goddess outside of Bede’s writings. Also, in most other languages the word for Easter ― Pascua in Spanish and Pasques in French, for instance ― derives from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover.
For Christians, the Easter egg is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Painting Easter eggs is an especially beloved tradition in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches where the eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross. Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal vigil and distributed to the congregants. The hard shell of the egg represents the sealed Tomb of Christ, and cracking the shell represents Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Moreover, historically Christians would abstain from eating eggs and meat during Lent, and Easter was the first chance to eat eggs after a long period of abstinence. (Orthodox Christians continue to abstain from eggs during Lent.)
Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. An egg hunt involves hiding eggs outside for children to run around and find on Easter morning. Eggs are rolled as a symbolic reenactment of the rolling away of the stone from Christ’s tomb. In the United States, the Easter Egg Roll is an annual event that is held on the White House lawn each Monday after Easter. (Due to COVID-19 concerns, the 2020 White House Easter Egg Roll has been canceled.)
Easter Eggs
HOYERSWERDA, GERMANY - MARCH 24: Painted an Easter egg in traditional Sorbian motives at the annual Easter egg market on March 24, 2012 in Schleife, near Hoyerswerda, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)
Easter Eggs
HOYERSWERDA, GERMANY - MARCH 24: Painted an Easter egg in traditional Sorbian motives at the annual Easter egg market on March 24, 2012 in Schleife, near Hoyerswerda, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)
Easter Eggs
HOYERSWERDA, GERMANY - MARCH 24: A woman, paints an traditional Lusatian sorbian folk Easter egg in traditional Sorbian motives at the annual Easter egg market on March 24, 2012 in Schleife, near Hoyerswerda, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)
Easter Eggs
SOMMERKAHL, GERMANY - APRIL 07: Freshly-painted Easter eggs lie in cartons at the Lueck poultry farm on April 7, 2011 in Sommerkahl near Aschaffenburg, Germany. The farm is currently working 24-hour shifts to meet demand for its brightly-coloured eggs two weeks before Easter. (Photo by Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images)
Easter Egg
A female worker paints an Easter egg as tourists look at decorated Easter eggs on sales at the traditional Easter market in the Old Town Square in Prague. Easter eggs and other chocolate may be good for the heart and lower blood pressure, provide you eat a tiny amount each day and prefer dark rather than milk or white chocolate, a medical journal reported on Wednesday. Nutritionists in Germany monitored 19,357 adults aged between 35 and 65 for at least a decade, comparing episodes of ill health with their lifestyle.AFP PHOTO / MICHAL CIZEK
Easter Eggs
LEHDE, GERMANY - APRIL 03: Painted easter eggs in traditional Sorbian motives are pictured on the season opening of the open-air museum Lehde on April 3, 2010 in Lehde, near Lubbenau, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Easter Eggs
Easter eggs are on display at a Sorb market in Schleife, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south-east of Berlin, on Saturday, March 24, 2012. The eggs are colorfuly painted and decorated with hot wax in different designs for Easter holidays . That is a long tradition in Sorb families. Sorbs are an ethnic Slavic German minority located near the German-Polish border. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Easter Eggs
Easter eggs are on display at a Sorb market in Schleife, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south-east of Berlin, on Saturday, March 24, 2012. The eggs are colorfuly painted and decorated with hot wax in different designs for Easter holidays . That is a long tradition in Sorb families. Sorbs are an ethnic Slavic German minority located near the German-Polish border. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Easter Egg
A Sorb woman works on a large easter egg at a market in Schleife, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south-east of Berlin, on Saturday, March 24, 2012. The eggs are colorfuly painted and decorated with hot wax in different designs for Easter holidays . That is a long tradition in Sorb families. Sorbs are an ethnic Slavic German minority located near the German-Polish border. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Giant Easter Egg
A giant Easter egg is displayed on March 27, 2012 at a market in the center of Vienna. AFP PHOTO / DIETER NAGL
Easter Egg
HOYERSWERDA, GERMANY - MARCH 24: A woman, paints an traditional Lusatian sorbian folk Easter egg in traditional Sorbian motives at the annual Easter egg market on March 24, 2012 in Schleife, near Hoyerswerda, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)
Easter Egg
HOYERSWERDA, GERMANY - MARCH 24: Melanie Baier from the village Obergurig wearing a traditional Lusatian sorbian folk dress, paints an Easter egg in traditional Sorbian motives at the annual Easter egg market on March 24, 2012 in Schleife, near Hoyerswerda, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)
Easter Egg
High-end decorated chocolate Easter eggs crafted by the French chocolatier family Colas, are displayed in the Jicara Chocolat boutique on April 22, 2011 in Paris on the eve of Easter celebrations. The French chocolatier has chosen Ancient Greece as this year theme for Easter delicacies. AFP PHOTO THOMAS COEX
Easter Egg
A picture taken on April 22, 2011 shows a special Easter eggshell with more than 20.000 holes by Franc Grom in Stara Vrhnika, some 50 kilometers from Ljubljana. Grom, a 70-year old Slovenian craftsman drills holes in Easter eggshells for the last 18 years to make ornaments on them. He drills an approximate number of 2500 to 3500 holes to make a single special Easter eggshell for which he spends usually one week. Grom is the only artist making craftworks on eggshells by drilling this number of holes. AFP PHOTO/ HRVOJE POLAN
Easter Eggs
Franc Grom looks at his special Easter eggshells drilled with ornamental holes, in Stara Vrhnika, some 50 kilometers from Ljubljana on April 22, 2011. Grom, a 70-year old Slovenian craftsman has drilled holes in Easter eggshells for the last 18 years to make ornaments on them. He drills an approximate number of 2500 to 3500 holes to make a single special Easter eggshell for which he spends usually one week. Grom is the only artist making craftworks on eggshells by drilling this number of holes. AFP PHOTO/ HRVOJE POLAN
Easter Egg
Girls paint a giant Easter egg on April 21, 2011, in Belgrade. Traditionally Orthodox Serbs observe Easter according to the old Julian calendar, which this year falls April 24. AFP PHOTO / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC (Photo credit should read ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images)
Easter Eggs
A Kosovo Serb priest hold hand-painted easter eggs as he takes part in a religious service at the St.Sava church in the town of Mitrovica during a Orthodox Easter on April 5, 2010. Traditionally Orthodox Serbs observe Easter according to the old Julian calendar. AFP PHOTO / ARMEND NIMANI
Easter Egg
A girl finishes a hand decorated Easter egg on April 1, 2010, in Belgrade. Traditionally Orthodox Serbs observe Easter according to the old Julian calendar, which this year falls also on April 4. AFP PHOTO / Andrej ISAKOVIC
Easter Eggs
A picture shows hand-painted Easter eggs displayed for sale at a market in downtown Sofia on March 30, 2010. Easter is the annual Christian religion celebration, marking the end of Lent, the season of fasting, and the ressurection of Christ. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF
Easter Eggs
A picture shows hand-painted Easter eggs displayed for sale at a market in downtown Sofia on March 30, 2010. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF
Easter Eggs
A picture shows hand-painted Easter eggs displayed for sale at a market in downtown Sofia on March 30, 2010. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF (Photo credit should read DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images)
Easter Egg
SCHLEIFE, GERMANY - MARCH 21: An artisan paints an Easter egg in traditional Sorbian motives at the annual Easter egg market on March 21, 2010 in Schleife, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Easter Eggs
SCHLEIFE, GERMANY - MARCH 21: Easter eggs painted in traditional Sorbian motives lie on display and for sale at the annual Easter egg market on March 21, 2010 in Schleife, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Easter Eggs
SCHLEIFE, GERMANY - MARCH 21: Easter eggs painted in traditional Sorbian motives lie on display and for sale at the annual Easter egg market on March 21, 2010 in Schleife, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Easter Eggs
SCHLEIFE, GERMANY - MARCH 21: Easter eggs painted in traditional Sorbian motives lie on display and for sale at the annual Easter egg market on March 21, 2010 in Schleife, Germany. Easter egg painting is a strong part of Sorbian tradition and visual elements within the painting are meant to ward off evil. Sorbians are a Slavic minority in eastern Germany and many still speak Sorbian, a language closely related to Polish and Czech. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
In one scenario, Dallas makes Prescott the highest paid player in NFL history. In another, the Cowboys decline that commitment, at which point another team will make him the top paid player in NFL history.
Budgeting apps can help you keep track of your finances, stick to a spending plan and reach your money goals. These are the best budget-tracking apps available right now.
