Easter Egg:A Symbol of life

By Siosifa Pole in All Sorts

thinking about various things represented by easter eggs

EASTER EGG: A SYMBOL OF LIFE
Eggs have become icons for the Easter
Season. Prior to Easter, we started to see Easter eggs in the Super Market and Warehouse. They are
noticeable because they are right at the door way as you enter in. Nobody could miss the appearances of Easter eggs and the temptation to buy them. My two daughters love Easter eggs because every time we go to the Super Market they want to buy them. They like Easter eggs because of their taste and their ability to nourish life. Easter eggs are not only for the purpose of consumption but also for the purpose of creativity, which is a vital part of human life.
Before Easter, my two daughters were invited to join the students of the Pre-school where my wife teaches for a school evening fun activity. This activity was called 'Easter Egg Hunting'. They started the evening with a pot-luck dinner and then the Easter egg hunting began. Prior to the activity the staff of the Pre-school were hiding Easter eggs around the school grounds for the students to hunt. Parents and families were standing around and watching while the students hunted for Easter eggs. I could see joy on the faces of those children who were able to find Easter eggs as quickly as they could and also those who were able to find heaps. I could also see the disappointment on the faces of those who found few or no Easter eggs. The activity was simple and straight forward and the outcome was fun and educational. I am sure they all learned from this activity about fair competition and perseverance. They also learned about human interaction and sharing, which are unique parts of life.
Easter eggs can also symbolise protection and nurturing. They illustrate the life that the egg shell protects when a mother hen lays eggs. Before the chicks come out to enjoy their environment, they have to be in the eggs first. The mother hen lays eggs for the new life to develop and grow. Within the eggs these new lives are nurtured and protected for 21 days before they are hatched. The hard shell of the egg becomes their shelter and security. We know that there is life in the eggs when they are hatched and the egg shells are left empty. The empty eggs prove that there is new life to continue on. We see the chicks under the wings of their mother hen full of life and energy after leaving their egg shells. The egg shells gave them the opportunity to grow and develop. Apparently, eggs symbolise life.
When we look to the shape of an egg we see that it has an oval shape and it has no beginning or ending. There is nowhere on the egg that we can notice a beginning or an end. This shape symbolises the never ending circle of life and love. The chick inside an egg experiences life and love everyday of its development. Life and love represent something about God's attributes. God offers life everlasting and his love endures forever. This is the kind of message we have from the Easter Season. Christ finally overcome hatred by his love and defeated death by his resurrection life.
Easter eggs are used by various communities to represent new life and new beginning. They symbolise the Easter Season and have an important theological meaning. We are told that the Christian customs relating to Easter eggs can be traced back as far as the early Christians of Mesopotamia, who stained eggs red in memory of the blood of Christ, shed at his crucifixion. Since this time the Christian Church has officially adopted this custom regarding the eggs as a symbol of the resurrection. When we buy an Easter egg, we find that it has an oval shape - chocolate with a hollow interior. This symbolises the empty tomb and the reality of resurrection life which we celebrate during Easter Season. This also reminds us about the message of the two angles who appeared to the women who first visited the body of Jesus. The angels said, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen" (Luke 24:5b) The stone which sealed the doorway has been opened and a new life has begun, for Jesus has risen from the dead. This is the good news that we celebrate on the first Sunday of Easter.
Because eggs symbolises the resurrection life, the Roman church drafted a blessing to express the vitality of eggs for the Easter Season. This blessing was first recorded in 1610: "Lord, let the grace of your blessing come upon these eggs, that they be healthful food for your faithful who eat them in thanksgiving for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever."
As Easter eggs symbolise the start of a new life so with our lives during the Season of Easter. Our Parish needs a new beginning with the Risen Christ who can give hope to those who seek companionship and company. We are an Easter people and our role is to give hope to those who live under the shadow of death and misery. Let us continue to enjoy the taste of the Easter eggs and also share with each other the joy and love that we experience from them.
Siosifa Pole