It’s Easter Sunday once again, that cherished holiday where Christians the world over celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those of us less religiously inclined, it’s also a day of chocolate bunnies, multi-colored Peeps, and so many Easter eggs. But where did the whole Easter egg concept come from anyway?
Historians believe that the idea of Easter eggs originated from Anglo-Saxon festivals that celebrated the pagan goddess Eostre. Eostre symbolized the dawn in spring and the death of winter, a time of renewal and new life. Many people would bury eggs and then dig them back up as part of the celebration, as eggs were a symbol of fertility and rebirth.
Egg decoration dates back to the 13th century. According to History.com, “One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration.” The tradition came to America in the 1700s via German immigrants, who brought over fables of an egg-laying hare. Children would make nests for the hares, which eventually evolved into the Easter baskets we know so well.
Nowadays, we continue to celebrate Easter with brightly colored and decorated eggs. But us nerdy folk love to embellish our Easter eggs with our favorite superheroes and characters. Here’s some of the best nerdy egg decorations we’ve seen today:
Happy Easter everybody! We’d love to see your nerdy Easter eggs, tag us @TheMarySue on social media with yours!
(image: DC Animation)
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
