Eggs are a representation of the new life that hatches every spring, but their symbolism extends far beyond the wonder of nature. For early Christians, the egg was a tangible symbol of Christ’s Resurrection. The hard shell represented the sealed tomb, and the act of cracking the egg open to reveal its center symbolized Christ rising from the dead. In the early Church, the Lenten fast included abstaining from eggs as well as meat, so the end of the penitential season meant people could once again indulge in eating them.