Easter eggs are a beloved seasonal tradition, but did you know that they have deep roots in our faith? Beyond the chocolate and sweet treats, the elaborate Easter baskets, and the happily chaotic scavenger hunts for those delicious morsels, the egg has long been associated with the miracle at the center of our Catholic faith – Christ’s triumphant Resurrection.
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.