As children run to their Easter baskets to see what candy goodies have been placed in the basket it sometimes seems getting candy is the reason for the holiday. However, some of the candy items have a much deeper meaning.
Prior to the majority of the population being able to read and write, Christians used everyday items to teach, and remind, their fellow Christians of the story of Jesus and the miracle of His resurrection.
Eggs, chicks, lilies, hares (bunnies), baby animals and spring flowers were all used as reminders. The candy representations of today were once reminders/teaching tools.
Easter eggs and chicks both symbolize new life. Eggs have symbolized spring since ancient times. Eggs also are a symbol of the rock tomb from which Christ emerged when he arose again. The hatching chick symbolizes new life or re-birth.
The Easter bunny originally was a hare. The hare was a symbol of abundant new life in ancient times.
Many symbols of ancient religions were adapted by the Christians and used in their new faith. The lamb is perhaps the best known animal representing Jesus who is called the Lamb of God, whichrepresents the eternal life brought to man by Jesus Christ.
However, all baby animals born in the spring are considered to represent new life.
The butterfly is one of the most significant symbols
Butterflies return to our gardens in spring bringing beautiful color to our lives. The butterfly is one of the more significant symbols of Easter after the cross and the lamb. Its three-part life cycle is meant to represent the life of Jesus Christ.
The first stage is the caterpillar, representing His life on Earth. The second phase, the cocoon, represents the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The third stage is the butterfly which represents Christ’s rising from the dead in glory and peace.
Easter lilies and palm branches
The white blossoms of the Easter lilies symbolize the purity of Jesus. Lilies, rising from the earth in spring also symbolize new life and the resurrection of Christ. Likewise, daffodils and tulips that bloom in the spring are other symbols of new life.
Perhaps the best know plant at Easter time is the palm branch used at both Palm Sunday and Easter. When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday the people waved palm branches and threw them on the road before Him as a sign of welcome.
Today we wave palm branches in church on Palm Sunday in memory of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
Enter hot cross buns and pretzels
Some food symbols of the Easter season are hot cross buns and pretzels.
Hot cross buns have an icing cross on the top. Like all crosses the icing cross symbolizes Jesus' victory over death.
Pretzels are eaten during Lent because they have no sugar, something many people give up for Lent. The twisted shape is said to symbolize arms crossed in prayer.
Many churches have candles used throughout the year during their services. At Easter many increase the number of candles used to symbolize Jesus, "the light of the world."
Please take time this weekend to talk with your children about the meaning – the true meaning – of Easter. It goes far beyond a new dress or shirt and far, far beyond a basket of candy.
For more about Easter symbols and Easter recipes go to http://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/uhxyCOYXNyhN31xoWhE2TO1?domain=theholidayspot.com
Beverly Theil is a child advocate in Wayne and Holmes counties. She can be contacted at BeverlyVT@aol.com.
Eggs have long been associated with Easter as a symbol of new life and Jesus' resurrection. Another egg-shaped candy, the jelly bean, became associated with Easter in the 1930s (although the jelly bean's origins reportedly date all the way back to a Biblical-era concoction called a Turkish Delight).
In the olden days when I was a child, people often “gave up” sweets for Lent. The idea was that you would give the money you saved by not buying candy to a charitable cause. The Easter basket, filled with the child's favorite sweeties, is the prize after a forty day Lenten fast.
The lamb is perhaps the best known animal representing Jesus who is called the Lamb of God, which represents the eternal life brought to man by Jesus Christ. However, all baby animals born in the spring are considered to represent new life.
Sweetness represents goodness. And, as Kirker reiterated, the “sweetness” of faith and traditions is represented across religions and cultures with candies, sweet baked goods, and fruits.
Candy gives Steinbeck an opportunity to discuss social discrimination based on age and handicaps. Candy represents what happens to everyone who gets old in American society: They are let go, canned, thrown out, used up.
Easter is the holiest day of the year for Christians. It celebrates their belief in the resurrection, or the rising from the dead, of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the founder of the religion of Christianity. Easter is always observed on a Sunday in the spring, but its date varies.
Easter is a Christian holiday. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to Christian history, Jesus was crucified on a Friday and rose three days later on Sunday. Back in 325 AD, the “church council of Nicaea” decided that Easter should be made a true holiday.
Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs are on top of the world
Data gathered from both DoorDash and Instacart indicate that Reese's eggs are easily the most purchased Easter candy nationwide (people with peanut allergies be damned)! I don't find this terribly surprising.
Children also taste sweet flavors more intensively than adults, which can also trigger feel good chemicals (dopamine) in the brain. Other reasons exist too, like needing more energy for body growth, and of course, hunger.
The tradition of giving Easter gift baskets dates back to ancient times when people exchanged symbols of new life in the spring. As Christianity spread, this tradition merged with the celebration of Easter, and giving decorated eggs became popular in the Middle Ages.
The lamb is now the most important of these, and its meaning is either the same as before or, more frequently perhaps, it is symbolic of Christ the expiatory victim. The dove is the Holy Spirit, and the four animals that St. John saw in Heaven are used as personifications of the Four Evangelists.
Originating among German Lutherans, the "Easter Hare" originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether children were good or disobedient in behavior at the start of the season of Eastertide, similar to the "naughty or nice" list made by Santa Claus.
So why does the Easter bunny bring eggs? According to Discovery News, since ancient times, eggs and rabbits have been a symbol of fertility, while spring has been a symbol of rebirth. So even though rabbits don't lay eggs, the association of these symbols was almost natural.
For 30 of the 50 states, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs claim the top Easter candy ranking spot, but other regional favorites include Starburst jelly beans, Peeps and a variety of wrapped or filled chocolate eggs and bunnies.
31% of Americans say Easter is their favorite holiday candy, followed by Halloween candy (29%) and Christmas candy (24%)*. A Nation Divided By Peeps: There's no denying that this fluffy delight is a staple in everyone's Easter baskets.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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