Just like Christmas, Easter is one of the most celebrated Christian holidays.
As a Christian, I celebrate Easter to commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For some people, the holiday has a great religious significance, while others just enjoy the time off from school and work.
There is, however, one common factor of the Easter holidays - and that is having lots and lots of delicious foods. But before you tuck into all your delicious treats this year, why not give it a bit more thought, so you know how the food you are enjoying happened to get to your plate?
Below we will look at the significance behind some of the foods we eat at Easter.
According to Alimentarium, a food museum with interactive and historical exhibits, in the Christian tradition, Easter brings an end to the Lenten fast with a series of rich dishes, that lamb commemorates the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ and is served as the main course, either as a leg of lamb or in a roast or stew, and other foods such as decorated eggs, chocolate rabbits and bells have been introduced into Easter celebrations over time.
Easter brings an end to the Lenten fast with a series of rich dishes. Picture: Supplied
What food portrays?
They say that the Easter meal, which follows the religious ceremony, is often eaten at midday, bringing the long fast of Lent to an end with a series of rich and sweet dishes.
That lamb, which commemorates Jesus’ sacrifice, is often served as the main course, as a leg, roast or stew, and that the egg, is a symbol of mourning in Jewish Passover, which represents life and rebirth in the Christian Easter celebration.
They also report that according to an orthodox legend, we owe the first Easter egg to Mary-Magdalene as she is said to have presented herself before Emperor Tiberius in Rome, with an egg in her hand, to request the condemnation of Pontius Pilate, and as she recounted the events surrounding Jesus’ death, the egg turned red, thus convincing the Emperor of the resurrection of Christ.
They say that traditionally, eggs are hard-boiled, then painted or decorated with Christian symbols such as the cross, that they adorn the Easter table and are eaten by both hosts and guests, and as for the rabbit, its connection with Easter is rooted in folklore, that several Germanic tales and legends relate that, on Easter morning, a rabbit or hare laid coloured eggs.