Easter is one of the most unique and remarkable holidays on the calendar. Celebrating the rebirth of Jesus Christ, the holiday has had its fair share of myths, stories and facts associated with it throughout the years. Here we will explore some unusual facts about Easter celebrations.
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The First Chocolate Egg
Although chocolate eggs are quite common today, they weren't always around for the Easter Holidays. In fact, the very first chocolate egg designed for this purpose was produced in the UK more than 140 years ago, in 1873.
Passover Dates
One of the most unusual facts about Easter celebrations has to do with the actual celebration date. Easter and Passover are probably the most confusing holidays in this regard, with Hebrew Passover celebrations (15th day of Nisan – according to the Jewish calendar), Orthodox Easter dates and Western church dates (first Sunday after the paschal full moon according to the Julian and Gregorian calendars) all being calculated in reference to different calendars and astrological signs.
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An Egg Covered in Diamonds
If you think your Easter Eggs are special, you've probably not heard about the special egg covered in diamonds that was sold in 2007 for 9 million pounds. The egg is, apparently, also able to tell the time - every hour, a miniature rooster pops up from under its top to flap its wings and crow.
Easter Pretzels
An intriguing fact about Easter that you might not have heard about is that, in the olden days, pretzels were closely associated with the Holiday. They were believed to symbolize arms crossing in prayer, as depicted by the pretzels' well-known twists.
Medieval Egg-Throwing
Egg-throwing used to be a well-known Easter tradition in medieval times, commonly organized by churches. The practice consisted of a hardboiled egg being thrown, first by the priest to one of the choir boys, then from one choir boy to the other. Whoever had the egg when the clock would strike 12 got to keep it.
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Chick Dyeing in Florida
Chick dyeing is a controversial topic in the US, being banned in half of all the states. Many, however, have argued that the practice is not actually dangerous to the chicks, since the dye only lasts for as long as it takes for them to shed their fluff and start growing feathers. Florida has recently overturned a 45 year old law that used to ban the practice, and chick dyeing is now legal within the state.
Americans and Candy
Apparently, in the US, candy is considered best consumed during the Easter Holidays. Statistics show that Americans spend almost $2 billion on Easter candy (70% of it strictly chocolate). The curious fact about it is that Easter is not even the biggest candy holiday in the US, being overtaken each year by Halloween.
The Meaning of Exchanging Easter Eggs
The tradition that arose in many different cultures as the habit of exchanging Easter eggs emerged as a springtime custom that is actually older than Easter itself. It is known to symbolize rebirth and renewal.
Undoubtedly among the most remarkable stories about Easter that you will find, some of these facts are at the very least surprising. Which one do you think is the most interesting? Do you know about any other fascinating facts I may have overlooked?
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