It is the Easter celebration, which means more chocolate than you can eat, Easter egg hunts, and more! Like Christmas, Easter is a Christian holiday that has become hugely ingrained in Western culture. For many, Easter is one of the most sacred and beloved holidays of the year. Whether or not you attend church on the big day, there are so many lovely traditions to enjoy, from brightly coloured Easter baskets stuffed with eggs, chocolate bunnies, and small gifts for kids, to the extravagant brunches and wonderful dinners marking the occasion. Celebrations vary greatly from country to country, with some strictly religious and others more a celebration for the community.
There’s a whole fascinating history behind Easter’s most iconic symbols and customs, from elaborate egg decorating to the name itself, which some historians believe predates Christianity—and we’ve gathered the most interesting ones for you here. Along with historical tidbits, we’ve also dug up plenty of surprising information about newer Easter practices, including dressing up and chowing down (marshmallow Peeps, we’re looking at you!). So, whether you’re simply looking to expand your knowledge, or you would like some good trivia questions to ask before you turn on your favourite Easter movie, we have what you need.
Here are twelve of the most enduring and interesting Easter traditions and facts from around the world.
Easter Is Named for a Fertility Goddess
Many historians believe that Christians named Easter after Eastre or Eostre, a pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess, in the hopes of encouraging conversion. Like the Christian equivalent, Eastre festivities heralded the coming of spring after winter’s long slumber.
Easter is the Oldest Christian Holiday
Celebrating Jesus’s resurrection, the foundation upon which Christianity was built, Easter is one of the most important Christian holy days.
Easter Egg Hunt
Out of all the ways people celebrate Easter, holding an Easter egg hunt is probably the most well known and most anticipated by children worldwide. From small families to the White House, the Easter egg hunt is a tradition that has worked its way into the culture of the holiday.
In pre-Christian times, the egg was a symbol of the earth’s rebirth and coming of spring. In Christian tradition, the egg was adapted to serve as an analogy for the resurrection of Christ, with the egg meant to serve as the tomb from which he arose. Evidence suggests that the actual hunt came from Protestant reformer Martin Luther. Luther held hunts where the men would hide the eggs for women and children to find.
The Easter egg hunt has become so ubiquitous with the nature of the holiday that even companies such as Cadbury get in on the act with their annual Easter Egg Trail. Regardless of the scale, the hunt has become one of the most popular aspects of Easter for Christians and non-Christians alike.
The Easter Bunny is German
Both hares and eggs were signs of fertility in Germany during the Middle Ages, and it was during this time that the legend of an egg-laying, candy-giving bunny was born. It wasn’t until the first Germans immigrated to America in the 1700s that the Easter Bunny became a beloved tradition here.
In 2007, Florida Held the Largest Easter Egg Hunt Ever
And a whopping 9,753 children participated, searching for 501,000 eggs. Speaking of Easter egg hunts, it was President Rutherford B. Hayes who instituted the first White House Easter Egg Roll in 1878. It usually attracts some 30,000 people, although the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to COVID-19. No announcement has been made regarding this year’s event.
But Easter Games Used to be Even Weirder
Yep, back in the Middle Ages priests used to play a sort of “Hot Potato” game where they would toss a hard-boiled egg at a choir boy. The boy would then throw it to another boy and so on until the clock struck midnight. Whoever was holding the egg at that point got to eat it.
Dressing Up for Easter is Based on a Superstition
While you might think that dressing to the nines on Easter Sunday is simply a sign of respect for the holiday, that’s not the case. At least it wasn’t in 19th-century New York when residents believed that wearing new duds on Easter would bring luck for the rest of the year. These days, it’s estimated that $3.3 billion is spent on Easter finery.
Those Brightly-Colored Clothes Have a Meaning
All those pastels and floral prints folks wear on Easter are meant as a tip of the hat to spring’s arrival. And the holiday’s extravagant headwear? It only evolved into a popular tradition after Irving Berlin wrote of Easter bonnets in his hit 1933 song, “Easter Parade.”
The World’s Tallest Easter Egg Was Made in Italy in 2011
It stood a jaw-dropping 34 feet and 1.05 inches tall and weighed 15,873 pounds. Speaking of Easter eggs, a little more than half of Americans say they like their eggs filled with peanut butter, caramel, or chocolate ganache, rather than hollow or made of solid chocolate.
We Go for the Ears First
It’s true. A little more than three-quarters of people say they consume the ears on the chocolate bunny first, with the rest initially eating the feet, tail, or whatever looks appealing at the time. However you slice (bite?) it, you’re part of a proud tradition—some 91 million chocolate bunnies are sold every year in the United States.
Dark Chocolate Isn’t the Go-To Sweet
Whether you’re eating chocolate eggs or chocolate bunnies, chances are they’re going to be made of milk chocolate. It seems only 15 per cent of adult Americans like dark chocolate. Either way, a total of $2.5 billion is spent on chocolate at Easter.
16 Billion Jelly Beans Are Made in the U.S. Annually
Although they became the first candy to be sold by weight (rather than price) back in the 1900s, it wasn’t until the 1930s that people started buying jelly beans specifically for Easter. Nowadays, enough are eaten each year to circle the globe more than five times.
About 5.5 Million Peeps Are Made Daily
In 1953, it took 27 hours to make a Peep. Today, it can be done in six minutes. During Easter alone, Americans consume more than 600 million of the marshmallow treat, making it the holiday’s second-most popular candy. Chocolate still ranks number one. Ten per cent of people prefer to eat them stale; three per cent like their Peeps frozen.
There’s a Reason We Serve Ham for Easter Lunch
Most early Easter celebrations would have included lamb for the special dinner because the holiday is rooted in Jewish Passover. Today, however, most American Easter menus include ham instead—and that’s due to the holiday’s timing. Years ago, hams were cured during the winter months and were ready to eat in early spring.
We Really Love Our Eggs
Americans purchase a massive amount of eggs each year—in excess of 180 million. Years ago, families dyed their Easter eggs naturally using onion skins, beets, and purple cabbage. While some still use these methods today, more than 10 million packaged dye kits—the kind where you plop a colour tablet into a cup of white vinegar—are sold annually. Everyone else must be bedevilling their eggs for Easter brunch.
It’s Okay to Hoard All That Chocolate
The suggested maximum storage time is eight to 12 months for milk chocolate, so says the National Confectioners Association. You would need at least that long to make a dent in the largest documented chocolate Easter bunny. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the enormous sweet treat stood 12 feet tall and weighed 6,635 pounds. Dark chocolate lovers rejoice: You can store your confections for up to two years if it’s wrapped in foil and kept in a cool, dark, dry place.
