Why do we eat chocolate at Easter? The origins of the tradition
While Easter is of capital importance in Christianity since it celebrates the resurrection of Christ, the festival also holds a special place in the hearts of gourmands. Every year, Easter chocolates punctuate the beginning of spring to the delight of young and old alike.
At first glance, it is difficult to make the connection between the return to life of Christ and the egg hunt. However, the two are indeed linked! Between pagan symbolism, Christian tradition and children's stories, here is the origin of Easter chocolates.
The Easter Egg and its Roots in Antiquity
An arty wind is blowing on the traditional Easter egg. Inside
The origin of Easter eggs goes back long before the Christian religion entered into history. It is a symbol anchored in cultures since the dawn of time, which was the subject of many pagan rites and traditions throughout the world.
Decorated ostrich eggs dating back 60,000 years have even been discovered in southern Africa!
In ancient times, particularly in Persia and Egypt, it was customary to offer eggs decorated or dyed red at the arrival of spring, the season of renewed life. Even in those distant times, the egg symbolized rebirth and renewal.
The origins of the Easter egg in the Christian religion
Before being a chocolate delicacy, the egg is the emblem of life, especially in the Christian religion. Naturally, this meaning coincides with the resurrection of Christ that we celebrate at Easter. The chocolate Easter egg would then be the descendant of a custom imbued with strong spiritual symbolism. If this explanation is correct until proven otherwise, it is not the only one responsible for the famous Easter tradition.
Indeed, it seems that the fasting period of Lent played a role in the development of this custom. During the 40 days of Lent, and until the 17th century, Christians were not allowed to eat eggs. But the chickens did not stop laying them!
Therefore, at the end of Lent, when the fast is broken, families had dozens of eggs on their hands. Then the idea arose, in order not to waste them, to decorate them and offer them as gifts on Easter Sunday.
It was within this tradition that Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia, presented his family with Fabergé eggs made of gold and decorated with precious stones, famous jeweled masterpieces specially made for the imperial family.
Easter Chocolates
For centuries, Easter eggs were simple cooked chicken eggs, decorated with designs or colored. It was not until the 18th century that the idea of filling these eggs with liquid chocolate began to gain momentum, as chocolate handling techniques evolved.
It was the appearance of molds that gave birth to the chocolate eggs that we enjoy today. These allowed us to give the chocolate the shape we wanted, and they aroused the enthusiasm of confectioners who rushed to make this delicacy an essential part of the Easter celebration.
In the excitement of this innovation, the chocolate hen joins her offspring on Easter tables. Over the years, chocolatiers have freed themselves from established rules to decline Easter chocolate in all its forms: farmyard animals, fish and other sculptures to savor, for the greatest pleasure of gourmets.
Easter Bells and Chocolate Hunt
Can we talk about Easter without talking about the iconic egg hunt that accompanies it? The origins of the Easter egg hunt lie in a little story, commonly told to children during the last days of Lent. Among Catholics, church bells are silent for three days, from Maundy Thursday until Easter Eve, to commemorate the death of Christ.
To explain this silence, at a time when village life was punctuated by the sound of bells, children were told that the bells had gone to Rome to be blessed by the Pope, and that they would then return to sow the eggs collected on their way in the gardens.
The morning after the night of their return, Easter Day, children run into their gardens in search of the chocolate eggs left by the bells. In some regions, such as Alsace or Switzerland, legend has it that it is a rabbit or a hare who comes to distribute the Easter chocolates.
Today, Easter chocolates are above all the symbol of a festive and convivial day, for which master chocolatiers unveil irresistible creations and during which indulgence is a virtue!
