Easter Eggs

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Easter Eggs
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Easter Eggs

• Many civilizations believed that the world began
  as an egg.
• Yolk as sun
• The rest the earth
• Egyptians Greeks buried eggs with dead
• Why eggs so important?
• Egg is the beginning of life
• Given new hope

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• Egg represents life and symbolizes new life
• Before using egg as a symbol people participated
  in egg hunt for egg was important food source for
  survival.
• Children participated in egg hunt and were given
  a prize if their egg was most beautiful and
  colorful

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• As childrens egg hunt spread many eggs were dyes
  and hidden the night before the hunt
• The hunts continued when many tribes were
  converted to Christianity and in many places it
  has become a teaching tool
• Orthodox Christians were probably the first to
  color the eggs to explain the true meaning of
  Easter
• Red

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• In Middle and Dark Ages eggs were decorated with
  religious images
• In Germany green eggs before Good Friday Easter
  tree was created for hanging eggs

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• In Scandavian nations and British Isles instead
  of hiding the eggs children went from house to
  house begging for brightly colored eggs. To earn
  that, they have to act out part of the Easter
  story egg pacing
• Decorating Easter eggs became artistic

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• During Lent season eggs were on the list of food
  that cant be eaten in medieval times
• Easter basket
• Bag or hat
• Egg hunt were forbidden for it had pagan roots
  like Christmas
• Groups like Puritans forbid Easter and Christmas

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• For several hundred years children knew nothing
  about Easter eggs tradition
• Easter comeback during 1850s in England and U.S.
• During Civil War President Lincoln started
  egg-rolling contest.

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• Faberge
• Although eggs represent the recurring cycle of
  life Easter eggs were adopted by Christians to
  symbolize the eternal life
• Powerful lesson of faith

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Easter Bunny
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• No connection between this character and any
  element of Christianity
• Yet Easter bunny is the reminder of the coming
  Easter
• Oestre, pagan goddess which Easter might have
  been derived
• Drives the winter away and reawakens the world
  for its annual rebirth in spring

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• A bird became a rabbit and it still laid eggs.
  Oestre gathered the eggs laid by the bird and
  gave to the worlds best children.
• First connection of the eggs and rabbit
• When the pagan worshippers became Christians the
  story disappeared
• In Germany rabbit got involved in Easter lore for
  bunnies populated there

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• In Middle age Easter egg hunt took place in open
  field or meadows
• Eggs were often found where the rabbits fled
• Easter bunny first appeared in Germany
• In 1500s books were published
• In 1800s they made edible bunnies
• German and Dutch immigrant brought Easter bunny
  to America as Ostcher Haws, a large, white rabbit
• Bring beautiful eggs to those who have been good
  all year

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• Acceptance of the Easter bunny
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit
• Bugs Bunny
• Gene Autrys Peter Cottontail in 1950

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• Though no connection to Easter he opens up the
  opportunity for Christians to share the real
  reason of Easter Jesus dying on the cross and
  rising from the tomb two thousands years ago