The Easter egg is a gift and a typical decorative symbol of Easter, but why?
What is its history? In how many ways can an Easter egg be decorated?
This article answers all these questions!
Why are eggs given as gifts at Easter?
In the cultures of ancient peoples, the egg had a profound symbolic value: it was a sign of life and rebirth. Christianity reinterpreted this value in light of the revelation of Jesus: the egg thus became a symbol of Christ's resurrection.
The custom of giving eggs as gifts spread in Germany starting in the Middle Ages: people there developed the habit of distributing boiled eggs wrapped in leaves and flowers so that they would be naturally colored.
What about the surprise inside the egg?
The tradition of putting a surprise inside the egg also has its own history, but several different traditions are documented. Some believe this custom originated with the work of the goldsmith Fabergé, who served at the court of the tsar of Russia. He made magnificent gold-decorated eggs for the tsarina and placed a surprise inside them. Others attribute this tradition to the people of Piedmont, masters of the art of chocolate, who popularized the surprise in the 18th century.
Ideas for decorating chocolate eggs and hard-boiled eggs
Decorating eggs is a very fun activity, especially to do with children. The only rule is to let your imagination run wild!
Here are some ideas for decorating chocolate eggs:
Melt some chocolate in a bain-marie, then pour it into a sac-à-poche (piping bag) and have fun decorating your egg as you wish. To make the decoration stand out, if the egg is dark chocolate, it can be decorated with milk or white chocolate, and vice versa.
Eggs can also be decorated using marzipan or marshmallows.
The simplest - and most colorful - way is to use lots of sprinkles!
Choose whichever method you like best; the important thing is to let the egg dry before wrapping it in a sheet of clear paper and adding a lovely bow!
Even more imaginative are the ways to decorate hard-boiled eggs, which are ideal as decorative elements on the Easter table. They can be decorated:
with tempera paints or watercolors;
with colored markers;
with scraps of fabric or colored cardboard (you can create lots of cute animals, for example).
All that remains to say, then, is have fun and… Happy Easter!!!
