Here at Deliciously Gorgeous, we are unashamedly obsessed with all things chocolate. So our very favourite Easter tradition has got to be, of course, Easter Eggs! But where did this sweet tradition come from?
Over the centuries, eggs and chocolate have somehow become synonymous with Easter and springtime. Lots of us will know that the egg has long been a pagan symbol for fertility and rebirth, a sign of the new beginnings of spring and the growth of a new year. It was absorbed by Christian traditions as a part of the Easter tradition, coming to stand for Jesus emerging from the tomb and being resurrected.
Decorating eggs is also a custom that came around long before Christianity. Lots of different cultures around the world decorate eggs – and not just for Easter. In Persian culture eggs are painted as a family activity for Nowruz, a festival also held near the spring equinox. Many believe that this is where the Christian tradition of egg painting may have originated.
But we want to know when eggs became chocolate! Well – in the 17th and 18th centuries some clever salesmen came up with the idea that eggs could come with toys inside for Easter! The eggs were often filled with sweets too. It’s thought that the first chocolate Easter eggs were likely crafted in Germany and France near the beginning of the 1800’s. The first chocolate egg in the UK was made by JS Fry of Bristol in 1873. Other companies were quick to copy and boom! World domination, chocolate eggs for everyone! Hurrah!
In 2015 tens of thousands of people gathered in Bariloche, Argentina, to taste what was described as the world’s biggest handmade Easter egg ever! Over 8,000kg of chocolate was used to make the egg and it was 8.5 metres tall! Soundslike breakfast to us…