Easter

The egg is a symbol of the rebirth of the Earth in celebrations of spring after a long hard winter. In prehistoric times, the sun god (Dazhboh) was the most important of all the deities and birds were the sun god's chosen creations as they were the only ones who could get near him. Humans could not catch the birds, but they did manage to obtain the eggs the birds laid. 

Thus, the eggs became magical objects, which was a source of life. The egg was also honored during rite-of-Spring festivals. With the emergence of spring, the earth burst forth and was reborn, just as the egg miraculously burst forth with new life. The egg, therefore, was believed to have special powers.

The term Easter comes from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, to whom the month of April was dedicated. So, along with the spring equinox and spring festivals, people started exchanging eggs as a symbol of creation, new-life, and a resurrection of nature after winter.

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