Easter traditionally marked the start of spring – in the northern hemisphere at least – where festivals honoured fertility and a time of rebirth of nature.  Pre-Christian Saxon’s glorified their goddess of dawn, Eostre, in spring rituals; her animal was the hare.

Adopted by the early Christian church to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ, Eostre herself was “reborn” in England around the 5th Century AD taking the modern English, Easter.

The date of Easter Sunday is governed by the seasons and falls on the full moon following the northern Spring Equinox.  Originally calculated by Egyptian astronomers around 200AD, it now marks the end of the Christian Lent and Jewish Passover.

The egg has become a symbol of  renewal and rebirth.  There are a few theories for this.  The end of winter and the lead up to spring is traditionally a time of fasting for many cultures.  During this time the eating of animal products, including eggs and milk, is forbidden.

For Christians, Lent commences following the much celebrated Pancake Tuesday, when all remaining diary and eggs in the household would be used up. For Orthodox Christians, the larder would be cleared before commencement o f their fast, known as Clean Monday.

Chickens of course continued laying.  The eating of precious eggs – now in abundance – became a celebrated part of breaking the fast.  Some eggs would have been hard boiled or pickled to help prevent spoilage.

The earliest Easter eggs were decorated hen, duck or goose eggs we still sometimes see today. By the end of the 17th Century, various materials were used to mimic nature, from cardboard eggs filled with treats and gifts tot he famous jewel encrusted Faberge Eggs made for the Czar of Russia.

The first chocolate eggs appeared in France in the early 1800′s and quickly spread to the rest of Europe.  Made from ground roasted cacao beans, they were originally solid.

Modern chocolate making processes and mass manufacturing methods allowed for the moulded chocolate eggs we know and love today.  It might surprise you to know that these have only been popular since the 1960′s.