Easter eggs have a very lengthy and varied history, and some of the stories are rather amusing.
One of the first documented instances of Easter egg-giving dates back to ancient Persia, where eggs were painted and given as gifts on the spring equinox.
This custom was later adopted by Mesopotamian Christians, who painted eggs with Christian symbols and distributed them as gifts to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection.
The Easter egg hunt, on the other hand, is said to have started in medieval Europe. The Virgin Mary, legend has it, sent eggs to the Roman soldiers guarding Jesus’ tomb as a symbol of new life and rebirth.
The soldiers then hid the eggs and began a search for them, which eventually evolved into the modern-day Easter egg hunt.
But perhaps the funniest story in the history of Easter eggs involves the Russian Tsar Peter the Great. Legend has it that in the early 18th century, the Tsar became obsessed with the idea of making his country more modern and Westernized. As part of this effort, he ordered his courtiers to switch from the traditional Russian practice of dyeing eggs using natural dyes to using more vibrant, European-style dyes.
However, the new dyes were highly flammable, and during one Easter celebration, the Tsar’s courtiers accidentally set fire to the palace while preparing the eggs. In the chaos that ensued, the Tsar was forced to put out the fire himself using a bucket brigade, earning him the nickname “Peter the Egg-Grasper.”
Despite this mishap, the tradition of Easter eggs continues to this day, with people all over the world celebrating the holiday by decorating and hiding eggs in all manner of creative ways.
