Easter is THE holiday for chocolate. It comes in many forms during this season: bells, bunnies, and of course, eggs!
The Easter egg seems to be a worldwide tradition that ignores the barriers of culture and religion, but where exactly does this tradition stem from?

A Germanic tradition

The egg has been a symbol of birth and fertility for many centuries. In fact, it was customary to celebrate the beginning of spring and the return of sunlight by painting eggs with bright colours.
In Germany and Scandinavia, various pagan tribes would celebrate Norse goddess Ostara, a symbol of fertility and abundance. She’s usually represented holding a hare, with flowers surrounding both of them. It is accustomed to offer eggs to the goddess when asking for blessings.

Not just for the Occidental world

Hiding and decorating eggs is a tradition that’s at least 2000 years old. In India, this egg hunt symbolise karma and reincarnation. In China, big festivals celebrate the beginning of spring, and the Chinese paint eggs and give them as gifts to their loved ones as a sign of their spirituality.

Religion comes into play

When Christianity was introduced in Europe, the egg was adopted as a symbol of the resurrection, with the hard shell representing the tomb and the emerging chick representing Jesus Christ, as he conquered death.
A more practical explanation is that during Lent, Christians traditionally abstain from all animal products, including meat, dairy and eggs, therefore there would be a surplus of eggs by the time this six-week period was over and so people would decorate them and save them for Easter, when they were no longer banned from their diets.

The chocolate egg we all know and love

The chocolate Easter egg comes into play in the early 19th Century, with France and Germany learning to successfully temper and mould chocolate. At first the eggs were solid, but with practice (and lots of patience!) confectioners started making hollow eggs.
Currently, Easter eggs come in all shapes and sizes and the majority of them are made industrially, but at Cavaletti, our chef Sophie Basselier crafts each one with the dedication that she is known for.
If a Cavaletti Easter Egg sounds good to you, make sure to pre-order it soon!