Festivities: Have an egg-ceptional Easter

Let your Easter celebrations be guided by history and tradition.

Easter is more than a festival of decorated eggs; on this well-attended Sunday service of the year, Christians celebrate the resurrection of their lord Jesus Christ after he was entombed following his crucifixion on Good Friday. And over time, this resurrection or rebirth has come to signify the triumph of good over evil.

Like most celebrations, Easter Sunday begins with a prayer service and thereafter sharing food with family and friends. Decorating eggs, preparing the customary lamb roast and hot cross buns are other parts of the festivities that represent a strong Christian belief.

Easter attire

Wearing new clothes for the entire week of Easter is customary. Baptised Christians wear white clothes, indicating the person is free from sin and is filled with grace.

Hot cross buns

Easter is incomplete without hot cross buns. The buns laden with black currants and raisins are not just enjoyed by Christians but by members of all communities. They are prepared in a particular shape so they can be divided into four parts representing the four quarters of the moon and the four seasons of the year. And the cross is more than an adornment, it reminds Christians of the day Christ was crucified and is therefore eaten on Good Friday.

Rabbits, hares and lamb



These animals born in spring signify the return to fertility of nature. In pagan times, eggs, rabbits and bunnies were signs of good luck and new life, and the early converts to Christianity tweaked these customs and tied them to their new life through Christ.

Easter baskets

Tradition has it that baskets filled with bread and eggs were brought to the church for Easter service to be blessed by the priest. While few still follow the custom, Easter baskets nowadays are filled with decorated eggs, chocolates, jellybeans, marshmallows and other delectable delights and are presented to children on the occasion.

The lamb roast

The Bible refers to Christ as the ‘Lamb of God’ — the sacrificial offering. Lambs were and are still sacrificed as penance for people’s sins and wrongdoing and since Christians believe that Christ died to relieve them of their sins, the lamb is an important part of the main meal on Easter Sunday.

Easter eggs

They symbolise life and fertility and since Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ it takes centre stage at the festivities. And while the Easter egg is largely symbolic, there is a story behind the decorated eggs. It is believed that while Christ was crucified, an egg seller helped him carry the cross. While doing so, he left his basket of eggs behind and on his return discovered that all the eggs had been coloured. It seems his act of kindness was rewarded with a basketful of coloured eggs.

Teenaz Javat writes headlines, news alerts, tickers and tweets for a living. She tweets @TeenazFromTo

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, April 20^th, 2014.