History of the Easter Egg

As Christianity spread, more familiar traditions. symbols and celebrations of spring were associated with Easter -Christ coming back to life after death. One of the oldest spring symbols is the egg. The oval shape of the egg was the same shape for a raindrop and a seed. These two were important life-giving elements. the egg itself promises new life as in spring, birds, and many other animals are hatched from eggs. In fact, the Persians, Hindus and Egyptians believed that the world began with a single egg. In ancient China, Rome, and Greece, eggs were given as springtime gifts. In Poland and Russia, hours are spent on drawing intricate designs on Easter eggs. In England, members of the royal families gave each other gold covered eggs as Easter gifts in the Middle Ages. The most famous Easter egg decorator was Peter Carl Faberge. He designed eggs from gold, silver and other precious gems for the kings of Europe and czars of Russia. These eggs are priceless now and can only be found in museums and private collections. in early America, children decorated their eggs by using dyes made from fruit and leaf colouring.

Easter Prayer

From the Gelasian Sacramentary, the oldest prayer book, compiled in about AD500 by Pope Gelasius:

'O God, we pray that the burden of sin which we carry in our souls may be dissolved for ever in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, free from this deadly weight, may our souls raise with him to eternal life... We beseech thee that those who have been redeemed by his passion may rejoice in his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Easy Easter Crafts

Check out these Easter Crafts for children from Kids Craft Weekly.

Passover Sweet

Pretend Plavah

You will need: Cooked pastry base (or sponge flan, but that might not be unleavened!), 150 ml (5 oz) whipping cream, 150 ml (5 oz) Greek yoghurt, a tin of strawberries, strawberry jam, 2 or 3 meringue nests.

1. Whip the cream until thick. Fold in the yoghurt and strawberries (drained).

2. Spread the jam over the flan centre.

3. Turn the mixture into the flan case.

4. Crush the meringue nests and sprinkle on the top.

[For a simpler-and cheaper version try using a packet whip instead of the yogurt and cream.]

Also - Let the children try two Jewish specialities bagels and matzos. Which sort do they think have yeast in them? Which is most like the unleavened bread the Israelites would have eaten at the Passover