Dove or Eggs? Without a shadow of a doubt, chocolate eggs are the symbol of Easter, which is now just around the corner.
Have you ever wondered why on the occasion of this holiday period chocolate eggs are given away and what is their meaning?
The origins of chocolate eggs are very ancient and to answer this question we need to go far back in time, before the "birth" of the religious meaning we all know.
Discovering the meaning of Easter eggs in the pagan tradition
The egg appears for the first time in the pagan tradition at the time of the Egyptians, as a symbol of the union between heaven and earth.
For this population, in fact, the egg was the central fulcrum of the four elements that are the basis of the creation of the universe, therefore: air, water, earth and fire.
In the mythological and pagan world, the egg then takes on a meaning of rebirth with the arrival of spring, when nature finds a new life after the cold period of winter and flowers bloom.
This leads us to another symbolic meaning, that of fertility: spring in the fields means the beginning of sowing in view of rich and abundant crops in the following months.
Perhaps no one ever told you but the ancient Romans used to bury an egg painted red in the sown field just as a good omen for a good harvest.
The meaning of Easter eggs in the Christian tradition
Also in the Christian tradition we find the egg as a symbol of rebirth and life: this concept is actually linked to the sacred feast of Easter, when the moment of resurrection is celebrated.
The egg contains a new life, just as the empty tomb represents for Christians the possibility of rebirth after death to an afterlife.
Because eggs are given away at Easter: this is when the "first exchange"
To trace in history the first exchange of eggs on the occasion of Easter we must take a step back in time, to be exact to the period of the Middle Ages when the egg was used as a gift for servants.
The exchange of eggs became a tradition in Germany where the rich class and the rulers used to have artificial eggs made with precious metals such as gold, all decorated with gems, to be given as gifts on the occasion of the Easter holiday.
Bringing as a gift precious eggs such as those just described soon became a common habit also in Russia at the time of the Tsars and then in the United Kingdom with Edward I, who during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries had about one hundred artificial eggs made to be delivered as a gift at Easter. others powerful of his knowledge.
Finally, everyone remembers the eggs made by the goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé given to the Zara of Russia towards the end of the nineteenth century.
The tradition of the chocolate egg today
After this quick journey through time, we come to the Easter traditions of today and the much loved chocolate eggs made by master chocolatiers with special molds using dark, white or milk chocolate for the little ones.
Even today it is possible to find chocolate egg decorated, for example, with dried fruit (chopped hazelnuts and almonds) or fruit.
While the decorated chocolate egg is very popular abroad, in Italy the one with a little surprise inside has always been popular.
In the Italian Easter tradition, in addition to the chocolate egg, we also find doves and pastiera, typical of the Campania region.
