Easter is the most significant and solemn feast of the year, which brings mankind hope of salvation and eternal life through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And it also brings with it the Easter egg hunt, a tradition in countries such as the Czech Republic, France, Poland, and Germany, from where it has been exported to America. You might think this is silly, far removed from the values we associate with Holy Week; however, it is not. For starters, every religious rite has pagan origins.
Egg Hunt is a tradition taken over by the Americans in which all family members, from young to old, search for eggs on Easter Day. Easter egg hunts have become popular, and rightly so, because the joy of finding as many eggs and surprises as possible is infectious. Easter is probably the most significant Christian feast. From a religious point of view, it signifies the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. As it coincides with spring, it is a much-anticipated feast after the long winter. Easter is always on a Sunday, the day on which the Easter Egg Hunt takes place.
Eggs have another significance associated with Easter: Lent is a time of remembrance and fasting in memory of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert, but at Easter, everything changes; those who still maintain variations in their diet for spiritual reasons leave abstinence behind. And speaking of eggs, you have three possibilities for your little ones to enjoy: chocolate, naked and decorated, or cooked.
Where is the connection between the Easter egg and Jesus?
Eggs had a special significance even before the birth of Jesus Christ, symbolizing balance and fertility. The custom of dyeing eggs originated about two thousand years ago among the Chinese. Eggs, over time, due to their nutritional content, have been introduced into the daily human diet and have become an exceptionally frequently consumed product. However, in the Christian religion, the egg took on a new symbolism, leading to a beautiful and child-friendly custom: dyeing eggs.
According to the New Testament, the connection between the Easter egg and Jesus is drawn by Mary, his mother, who came after Jesus’ crucifixion to mourn her son. Seated near the cross, the Virgin Mary left a basket of eggs, which according to legend, were made red by the bloodshed by Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind. Thus, in the Christian religion, by dyeing the eggs red, it is celebrated and remembered that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died for the salvation of mankind and was resurrected after three days.
According to Christian belief, on the Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent, also known as Lent Wednesday, people gathered eggs from the nest, which did not go wrong until Easter Day. They were dyed on the Thursday of the week before Easter.
Biography of Jesus
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Biblical places from the times of Jesus Christ
- Gethsemane-Where is it located?
- Jerusalem- The exact location of Jerusalem and its temple
- Kinneret- Is the Kinneret sea located in Jerusalem?
Read also: What happened on Holy Monday? How many times did Jesus heal on the Sabbath?
What is the Easter egg hunt tradition?
An egg hunt can be conducted both outdoors and indoors. Of course, ideally, it should be held outdoors. Regardless of where the event is born, it is essential to take care of the boundary of the space. As children of different ages will be attending, you will need to be concerned first and foremost about their safety.
The egg hunt Tradition is an American custom that has been around for a long time. Based on a simple and fun game for children. All you have to do is hide the Easter eggs as best you can and get the children to look for them. Whoever collects the most eggs can be named the winner. And to make the game even more attractive, you can give them a prize of Easter sweets.
As egg hunters can get hungry at any time, it is advisable to allow them to have a snack. Aim for dishes that are simple but stand out because of Easter symbols. Tablecloths should be in bright spring colors, such as shades of green. Chairs or tables can also be decorated with pastel-colored balloons.
Why is there an egg hunt on Easter Sunday?
Eggs can be boiled, painted, decorated, or painted the usual way. Children usually collect the eggs in a basket. When the hunt is over, prizes may be awarded for various achievements, such as the most eggs collected, the most significant or most minor egg, the most eggs of a particular color, or consolation prizes.
There is an Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday because the egg represents the symbol of the Lord’s Resurrection from the tomb. The egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in pre-Christian spring celebrations. However, the Easter egg was defined by early Christians as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ, the egg symbol being likened to the tomb from which Jesus emerged.
Eggs are hidden according to varying degrees of difficulty to suit children of certain ages and developmental levels. The recommendation is to do something different, fun, and exciting.
Key Verse related to Egg Hunt
“Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another, and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.”
7 Important Rules For Planning The Egg Hunt
You will most likely spend the first day of Easter with family and friends, maybe even on the green grass, weather permitting. At someone’s backyard or, who knows, maybe even in a little village or at the edge of a forest. Perfect! Both are equally good places to organize an egg hunt to the children’s delight.
An egg hunt is a game for children on Easter Day. Adults hide colorful eggs in the grass and around the house, and children go in search of them. The action leaves with laughter, fun, and excitement. I like the idea so much that I decided it had to be projected on, as it is full of education and fun. Here are the things to keep in mind when organizing an egg hunt:
1. Choose a suitable venue
A sunny day is perfect for an egg hunt outside, in front of the block, or at the playground. You can hide eggs in the grass, in the hedge, on your car’s wheels, or even hang them from dandelions if you opt for the hanging options. For outdoor hunting, mark the perimeter of the play area.
2. Keep in mind the age of the children.
To be fair to all children of different ages, you need to separate the hunt of the young ones, with eggs placed inaccessible places, from the search of the older ones, who like challenges. It’s easy to do this by using a color code: for example, the little ones will look for blue and red eggs, and the big ones for green and orange eggs.
3. Choose what kind of eggs you want to use
The options are varied: hide the classic boiled and dyed eggs every housewife makes at Easter, opt for chocolate eggs, or use plastic eggs. I chose the plastic ones, which unraveled, and snuck in a few sweet surprises, decorations, stickers to decorate other eggs, and a small styrofoam egg that the kids painted after the actual hunt.
4. Make a list of hiding places!
You may think you’ll remember where you put all your eggs, but I guarantee you’ll quickly forget some places. It’s a good idea to jot down hiding places in a notebook, especially if you’ve decided to use boiled and dyed chicken eggs. What would it be like to discover your lost egg a few weeks later?
5. You’ll need accessories for a successful egg hunt
From invitations to baskets or buckets for the children to collect the eggs into banners and decorations, accessories add a little extra flair to the whole event. There are unique egg hunt sets, including cardboard baskets and signposts.
6. Avoid competition
Every child wants to find the most eggs, but in my experience, competition can leave you in tears and heartache, and for some, the hunt loses all its charm. I opted for a limited number of children, divided the colored eggs equally, told them from the start how many they had to find, and marked each egg with the initials of the children’s names. This way, there were no arguments, and everything went smoothly.
7. At the end, reward the children
Even if you have organized a non-competitive game, end the hunt with a prize, either a valuable prize for the person who found the golden egg or an exchange system.
You should choose a reward for all the kids: a craft and a story about the meaning of Easter and The Cross of Jesus Christ.
Are rabbits mentioned in the Bible in connection with Easter?
The egg hunt was the subject of the Guinness Book of World Records in 1985, with the town of Homer in the US state of Georgia listed as having discovered 80,000 eggs in a small village of just 950 people.
Rabbits are not mentioned in the Bible in connection with Easter, and many cultures that celebrate the Easter season do not give them particular importance at this time. Still, the small mammals have become a symbol in countries like the US, reports NBC News.
The Reverend Mary Jane Pierce Norton even said that there was something special about the egg hunt because it brought to mind the women who went to the tomb of Jesus and discovered he was no longer there. Traditionally, the game is associated with Easter eggs, but it has also been popular during other celebrations related to the rebirth of nature in spring.
Read also: Is Pontius Pilate a saint? Jesus and Pilate’s conversation
– Decorate the eggs with letters, and after all the eggs have been found, play a game based on words;
– Use plastic eggs filled with toys, witty messages, or other funny objects;
– Divide participants into teams to compete against each other.
2 Alternatives to Easter Egg Hunt
1. Obstacle course
A fun game for the little ones is the obstacle course. Use a colored strip to trace a route under tables, chairs, and around furniture. Each child then gets an egg and a spoon. They have to roll the egg with the spoon along the set path without the egg leaving. Those who go out will have to take it back to the beginning. The winner is the one with the best time at the end of the race.
2. Easter Race
A fun game for the whole family is the Easter race. The game consists of an egg race. A route with obstacles is set for each team to follow. The groups formed must have an equal number of people and choose a leader. Each participant is given a spoon and a hard-boiled egg, and teams are created, which must have an equal number of members. Each team chooses a leader who will start the race and support the other competitors. Players must hold the egg spoon in one hand at shoulder level and jump on one foot, following the set course. During the race, participants cannot drop the egg or rest on both feet. The winner is the team that finishes the race with the most eggs intact.
Maybe you didn’t know…
The ornament of decorative eggs is extremely varied. It includes geometric, vegetal, animal, anthropomorphic, and religious symbols. Here are some of the symbols and meanings used:
- straight vertical line = life
- horizontal right line = death
- double right line = eternity
- line with rectangles = thought and knowledge
- slightly wavy line = water, purification
- spiral = time, eternity
- double spiral = link between life and death.
7 Christian and Educational Easter Egg Hunt ideas or game alternatives
1. “Easter Egg Hunt.”
The secret to the success of such an activity is adapting it to the age of the children. That’s why you can draw inspiration from the following “hunt” alternatives:
– For younger children (age 3), you will proceed as follows: each child will be given a basket to collect their eggs. Choose plastic eggs, which you will not hide, but place in a string, in which you will also place a giant egg made of other materials (wooden, chocolate, or even empty eggs inside). “The children’s ‘job’ will be to put only the tiny plastic eggs in the baskets.
– Older children (aged four and up) can be involved in a different ‘hunt.’ For example, hide a certain number of eggs and tell the children to find them outside. To make the game a little more complicated, give them a minimum number of eggs (out of the total number hidden) that they have to collect and ask the older children to help the younger ones contain that number.
– Older children are also asked to help younger children collect the same number. You will hide some plastic eggs (which can be opened). In each of them, you will place a note on which you will write simple instructions such as “jump like a ball,” “say a poem,” “sit down and count to 10”, and “jump like the Easter bunny. When each child completes one of these instructions, they will receive another note with a clue about where a small prize is hidden.
2. “Easter Egg Puzzle
From the age of 3 and a half, you can involve your child in a game that is not difficult but will help them to become familiar with: counting from 1 to 10, understanding the concept of “what number comes next,” associating colors, solving a puzzle (implicitly, the child will learn to find solutions to solve a problem).
To prepare the game, you will need colored paper, a pair of scissors with large serrations (ideally special craft scissors), and a black marker.
How to do it:
– Draw ovals on ten pieces of colored paper.
– Write a number at the top of the egg shapes and the ‘next’ number at the bottom (you will use numbers 1 to 10).
– Cut out the eggs to look cracked as if they are coming from the egg. Try drawing them differently to make it more challenging to match their shape to the appropriate color.
– Turn the eggs face down and draw different shapes on them (the exact condition will be marked on both the top and bottom of the eggs).
– On a separate piece of paper, write the numbers 1 to 10 and show the child what it means when “one number follows another.”
– Pick the top of an egg and discuss “which number follows” the one written there. Help the child make the right choices to match the right colors and shapes, just like in a jigsaw puzzle.
– Once the numbers have been matched, the eggs will be turned face down and scrambled.
– After that, try matching the shapes too.
3. “Guess the number!”
Children over four will be very excited to play with some of their favorite Easter desserts, such as chocolate eggs, egg-shaped candies, or jelly beans (the elongated, colorful, bean-shaped ones).
Take a jar and fill it with the sweets above. Count them as you put them in.
Put a piece of paper (as many as there are children) and a pencil next to the jar and ask the children to guess, for example, how many egg-shaped sweets are in the pot. Each child will write (or you will help them write) the number and name on the paper.
The child who comes closest to the number of sweets will win the whole jar. Remember to tell them to serve the others the sweets.
4. “Golden ticket hunt.”
The game can be played indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather. It is suitable for children over three years old.
You get some golden paper and chocolate bunnies (not too big or too small). You’ll also need to have some plastic eggs and some chocolates on hand.
You will need to prepare at least three golden tickets (there will be as many tickets as there are bunny prizes).
The plastic eggs will be filled with chocolate. In some of the eggs, you will also slip (without your children seeing) a golden ticket. Hide the eggs (outside or in the house).
Tell the children they will have to find the eggs, and the one who finds the egg with a golden ticket will get a chocolate bunny as a prize. The other participants will be remembered, too, as they will each get a chocolate egg.
5. “Egg throwing.”
A small group of children (children who will be at least four years old) can be trained in a game suitable for outdoor play.
Participants will form pairs (of 2). They will sit about 1 meter apart and will have to throw empty eggs from one to the other. Those who manage not to break the eggs will continue. Those who break them will be out of the game.
As the players manage to catch the eggs, they will step back so that the throws are made over longer and longer distances.
The team that remains with an unbroken egg until the end will be the winner.
6. “We hunt Easter Bunnies.”
Instead of the traditional “egg hunt,” you can also try a “Bunny hunt.”
You will need a large playing area, a group of children (children from 3 years old and up), plastic pebbles/bags for each child, and some chocolate or toy Easter Bunnies.
The bunnies will be hidden in various places. The children will be given a small pebble/ a small bag to collect the bunnies. The most important thing is that the children respect the following rule: they will start looking for the bunnies only after they hear you say: “Go hunting!”.
The winner will be the child who finds the most bunnies, but the others will be allowed to keep their bunnies and go home with them.
7. “Jesus and the Bunny invite us to play”
The players (from 3 years and up) will form a circle. They will count, one by one, from 1 to 7.
When the number 7 is reached, the player, who is supposed to say this number, should say, instead of the number: “I love Jesus, but also the Rabbit.” Whoever forgets to say this will be kicked out of the game.
The game will continue until there is only one player left who will be the winner.
Primary Takeaways
- The Easter holidays are a time we often dedicate to family and children. We can make it magical by involving the little ones in games that create memories they will enjoy for a lifetime.
- Egg hunt. It’s a favorite with adults and children alike, whatever their age. You don’t have to worry about bad weather because you can even hold the game indoors without destroying its beauty.
- It’s a fascinating game, especially if it’s raining outside or not warm enough to spend time outdoors.
Conclusion
The dyed egg symbolizes the Saviour, who leaves the tomb and returns to life. The egg symbolically, represents the Resurrection, because, in it, a new life is born, ready to emerge. Hence the tradition of the Easter Hunt. In ancient writings, it is said that on Easter Saturday, the Mother of God went with a basket of eggs to the soldiers guarding the body of Jesus. When she put the basket down, they turned red from the blood dripping from Christ’s wounds. Since then, it has also been the custom for eggs to be painted on Easter.
Also, according to tradition, Easter eggs were gathered from the nest on the Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent, also known as Lent Wednesday. It is customary that from the time the eggs are dried until this day, the housewives do not collect the eggs. It was believed that eggs picked on this day would not spoil until Easter. Now eggs were chosen for Easter food and eggs to be browned.
I hope you had a great time reading our article. For a couple of moments of relaxation, play the following Quizlet to test your biblical knowledge. I also wanted to thank you for your time, and if you have any questions, please get in touch with us at office@doortoeden.com.
Quizlet about Jesus’ Life and Resurrection
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Explanation of biblical words
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Bibliography
- Monbiot, G. E. O. R. G. E. (2006). An Easter egg hunt. THE GUARDIAN.
- Barnett, J. H. (1949). The Easter Festival–a Study in Cultural Change. American Sociological Review, 14(1), 62-70.
- Milhous, K. (2012). The egg tree. Simon and Schuster.
- Holloway, S., McBeath, M., & Van Etten, K. (2015). Easter Egg Hunt Winners use Competition-Density Minimizing Foraging Strategy to “Bring Home the Bacon”(and Eggs). Journal of Vision, 15(12), 408-408.
- Thatcher, E. (2020). Easter Egg Hunt: The Cultivation of Russian Imperialism Through Faberge Egg Collection (Doctoral dissertation, University of Glasgow (United Kingdom).
