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When is Easter and How is it Celebrated?
When is Easter?
Spring has sprung, and with it comes one of the most beloved holidays: Easter! From Easter egg hunts to bonnet parades, Easter is a time for celebration and gatherings with family and friends. And for those who gave up treats for Lent, it’s time to finally enjoy some tasty chocolate eggs. But have you ever wondered where these delicious traditions came from? It’s time to learn the rich history behind some of these tasty culinary customs!
Easter can fall anytime between the 21st of March and the 25th of April. This year Easter in the UK falls on Sunday 20th April:
How did Easter begin?
Easter is one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, celebrating the victory of life over death. According to the Bible, Christ died on the cross on Good Friday and his resurrections three days later, was said to prove he was the true son of God. It also signifies the end of the Lenten period, observed by many Christians.
While Jesus was believed to have lived between 4 BC and 36 AD, many of our Easter traditions date back to Pagan times, with the word Easter coming from ‘Eostre’ – the Goddess of rebirth and Spring.
Why do we have Easter eggs?
Hundreds of years ago, eggs were saved throughout Lent and eaten once again on Easter Sunday. Any eggs laid that week would be beautifully decorated and given to children as gifts.
As for chocolate Easter eggs, they appeared in the early 19th Century and were originally solid before Easter egg moulds evolved to create the chocolate shells we know and love today. At Thorntons, we look forward to gifting delicious chocolates for Easter just as much as you do. That’s why we have carefully crafted a range of treats that are perfect for all your nearest and dearest.
Where did the Easter Bunny come from?
Have you ever wondered where chocolate Easter bunnies originated? Well, the popular idea of the Easter bunny hopped along a little later in the 1700s, thanks to a tale from German folklore. In this mythological tale, a hare brings colourful eggs to well-behaved children at Easter time.
As the word spread, more people began decorating eggs and leaving them for the hare to collect, slowly becoming the symbol of Easter. The tale recounts how only the best-behaved children received the treats.
Easter chocolate to gift and share
Here at Thorntons we have been crafting and hand-icing our delicious chocolate Easter eggs since 1922 – and that’s a lot of eggs! Over time, we’ve adapted and improved our recipes to bring you delicious eggs and fabulously crafted chocolate models – ideal as Easter gifts or as a prize in an egg hunt.
Why Thorntons
Thorntons specialises in crafting high quality chocolate, sweets, toffee, fudge and other confectionery.
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