Easter Eggs: History and Tradition

Easter eggs are a symbol of life anew. In many countries around the world, eggs are dyed and given as gifts. This custom can be traced back to an early rite of spring practiced by the early Egyptians and Persians. The people of Persia (Iran) once believed the earth was hatched from a giant egg.

Legend tells of Simon of Cyrene, an egg merchant who was forced by the Roman soldiers to leave his eggs on the side of the road to help Christ carry the cross. Upon returning from Calvary the egg merchant, found his basket of eggs, had been colored and decorated.

The early Christians of Mesopotamia were the first to use colored eggs at Easter. In Colonial America the settlers brought with them to this country the custom of dying eggs, using berries, roots and herbs.

Throughout Europe decorated eggs play an important part in the celebration of Easter. In the Ukraine, beautifully decorated eggs known as Pysanky, using hot wax and dye are created, with each village having its own design.

In Germany eggs are dyed green on Thursday before Easter and carried around all day for good luck. In other European eggs are dyed red to represent the joy of Christ's resurrection.

In the 1800's elaborate candy eggs with a window in one end and a scene inside were popular in this country. Panorama eggs were most popular during the Victorian era and many a grandparent today can still remember their own panorama Easter egg from the 1950's.

Russia Czar Alexander III commissioned famed jeweler Carl Faberge to design an egg decorated with jewels as a gift for his wife. Between 1885 and 1917, 54 jeweled eggs, each with a different design and a surprise were created. Today forty two Faberge Eggs survive and are treasured by collectors including Queen Elizabeth of England. On November 2007, a Faberge Egg sold at Christies in London for 9,000,000 pounds, the largest amount ever paid for an egg

Sources:Herbs, Holidays and Traditions Jackie Voshell 1982 Imprint Press

تاریخچه و سنت تخم مرغ عید پاك

"The story of Valentine's Day begins in the third century with an oppressive Roman emperor and a humble Christian Martyr.   The emperor was Claudius II.   The Christian was Valentinus.
Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods, and had made it a crime punishable by death to associate with Christians.   But Valentinus was dedicated to the ideals of Christ; not even the threat of death could keep him from practicing his beliefs.   He was arrested and imprisoned.
During the last weeks of Valentinus's life a remarkable thing happened.   Seeing that he was a man of learning, the jailer asked whether his daughter, Julia, might be brought to Valentinus for lessons.   She had been blind since birth.   Julia was a pretty young girl with a quick mind.   Valentinus read stories of Rome's history to her.   He described the world of nature to her.   He taught her arithmetic and told her about God.  She saw the world through his eyes, trusted his wisdom, and found comfort in his quiet strength.
"Valentinus, does God really hear our prayers?" Julia asked one day.
"Yes, my child, He hears each one."
"Do you know what I pray for every morning and every night?  I pray that I might see.   I want so much to see everything you've told me about!"
"God does what is best for us if we will only believe in Him," Valentinus said.
"Oh, Valentinus, I do believe! I do!"  She knelt and grasped his hand.
They sat quietly together, each praying.   Suddenly there was a brilliant light in the prison cell.   Radiant, Julia screamed, "Valentinus, I can see!  I can see!"
"Praise be to God!"  Valentinus exclaimed, and he knelt in prayer.
On the eve of his death Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia, urging her to stay close to God.   He signed it, "From your Valentine."  His sentence was carried out the next day, February 14, 270 A.D., near a gate that was later named Porta Valentini in his memory.   He was buried at what is now the Church of Praxedes in Rome.   It is said that Julia planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave.   Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship.   On each February 14, Saint Valentine's Day, messages of affection, love, and devotion are exchanged around the world."
 

داستان روز  ولنتاین مقارن  قرن سوم  با امپراتوری ظالم روم و شهید فروتن  مسیحی آغاز شد. امپراتور زمان   كلادوس  دوم بود .ولنتانوس مسیحی بود
كلادوس به  همه رومی ها دستور داده بود كه دوازده خدایان  پرستش كنند ، واگر با مسیحیان وابستگی داشته باشند یك جرم  محسوب است و مجازات  آن مرگ است . اما ولنتانوس وابسته به آرمانهای مسیح  بود ، حتی تهدید به مرگ نتوانست از اعتقادات خود دست بردارد. او دستگیر  و زندانی شد.
در آخرین  هفته زندگی والنتاینوس چیز  قابل توجهی رخ داد. زندانبان مشاهده نمود  که او انسان یاد دهنده  است  ، ازولنتاینوس  پرسید که آیا دخترش، جولیا ، ممکن است برای آموختن درس پیش او بیاورد . او کورمادر زادی  بود . جولیا یک دختر خیلی جوان خوش سیما  ودارای حضور ذهن  بود. ولنتاینوس   داستان های تاریخی رم برای او میخواند. او جهان طبیعت را برای او توصیف نمود. به او حساب ریاضی یاد میداد و در باره خداوند سخن میگفت. جولیا  جهان را در چشمان او را دید ، به حکمت او اعتماد كرد ٫  پایداری و آسایش  را در او دریافت .
ـ یک روزجولیا ازولنتانیوس پرسید  ، آیا واقعا خدا دعاهای ما را میشنود
ـ بله ، فرزندم ، اوهر یك را  می شنود .
ـ آیا می دانید  من هر صبح و هر شب چی دعا میكنم ؟  دعا میکنم که امكان باشد روزی بینا شوم. من  دلم می خواهم آنچه كه تو برای من توصیف كرده اید ببینم 
ولنتاینوس  گفت.: اگر به خداوند معتقد باشیم او بهترین ها را به ما هدیه میدهد
ـ آه ولنتاینوس من معتقدم ! من باورمندم !جولیا  در مقابل او زانو زد و دست او را گرفت
آنها بی سر و صدا با هم نشستند و هر یک دعا میخواندند. ناگهان نور درخشانی به درون سلول زندان تابید.  .تشعشع ، جولیا فریاد بر آورد  "ولنتاینوس  ، من می توانم ببینم !  من می توانم 
ولنتاینوس از تعجب فریاد بر آورد حمد و  ستایش به  خدا ، و اوزانو زد و  نمازخواند.
در آستانه شب مرگ خویش ولنتاینوس در  آخرین   یاداشتی به جولیا نوشت ازاو خواست كه همواره به  خداوند  نزدیک بماند. او چنین  زیر یاداشت را امضا کرد ، " از طرف ولنتاین تو". حکم اعدام درباره او  روز بعد در ۱۴ فوریه سال ۲۷۰ میلادی  در نزدیکی دروازه ای  که بعدها بعنوان یادبود بنام پورتا ولنتاینی نامیده شد به اجرا در آمد. اودر رم به خاک سپرده شد,كه در حال حاضر  کلیسای پراكسدو میباشد.  بنا به روایتی ,  جولیا شکوفه صورتی رنگ  درخت بادام در نزدیکی قبر او کاشته است . امروزه، درخت بادام نماد عشق و دوستی جاودانها ست. در هر ۱۴ فوریه بعنوان  روز سنت ولنتاین ، پیام آور محبت ، عشق ، صمیمیت است و در سراسر جهان رد و بدل می شود