Easter is one of the most important religious festivals in the Christian calendar and is widely celebrated in the UK.
Chocolate has played a big part in most Easter celebrations since the Victorian era. And, with Easter Sunday approaching, many of us will be thinking about buying chocolate eggs for our loved ones, but may not know why…
If you’ve ever wondered how the chocolate Easter egg came to be, keep reading to find out more. But first, we’ve tried and tested a couple of luxury eggs to offer some tasty inspiration!
Luxury eggs taste test
The tradition of gifting eggs at Easter has been around for centuries. And, today, 80 million Easter eggs are sold in the UK each year, with an estimated £2.1 billion expected to be spent on Easter in 2024.
With so many different types of eggs available – from expensive hand-crafted, luxury eggs to the chocolate eggs available in all supermarkets – it can be difficult to choose the perfect gift. So, with this in mind, we taste-tested a couple of luxury eggs to consider whether or not an expensive Easter egg is the way to go.
Yumbles’ Afternoon Tea Easter Egg
The first egg we tried was an Afternoon Tea Easter Egg, which was kindly sent to us by Yumbles.
Our regular contributor, Janet Gordon, shared this with her family…
“After enjoying Sunday lunch at my son’s, we all sat down for an eggs-travagant taste test.
“Beautifully wrapped in cellophane, the Afternoon Tea Easter Egg sums up everything I love about going out for afternoon tea – one of my favourite treats.
“Opening up the extra thick, milk chocolate eggshell reveals 12 sublime truffles of four different flavours – Crème Brûlée, Lemon Meringue, Earl Grey Tea, and Strawberries and Cream White Chocolate. My son took charge and divided the truffles up before we devoured them.
“It was so difficult to pick but I think Strawberries and Cream White Chocolate was my favourite – the others couldn’t tell me theirs as they were so busy oohing and aahing at the different delicious flavours.
“Next, we tried the chocolate shell. Ooh sublime – the chocolate taste just lingered.
“Because the taste is so chocolatey and the truffle flavours so intense, a little sufficed, and it can be a treat that carries on. Asked whether they thought this £26 egg was good value for money, there was a unanimous, “Yes!”
“So, although initially a larger outlay than buying one of the more standard, mass-produced eggs, it was a definite yes from the Gordon family.”
“P.S. I couldn’t resist buying Rollo a doggy egg – but, no, I didn’t taste it!”
Yumbles’ Floral Easter Egg
Our second luxury Easter egg was provided by Yumbles and was their Floral Easter Egg.
Our Editorial Assistant, Zoë, tried this one with her family…
“This Easter egg arrives in a sleek black box, tied with a gorgeous satin ribbon. Upon opening the lid, you’re met with a beautifully decorated egg nestled carefully amongst tissue paper. Smooth chocolate is covered with edible flowers and spritzed with glitter – it’s truly a work of art.
“We were very excited to try it and carefully broke off a few pieces to taste. While flat (rather than the typical hollow egg), it’s pretty thick chocolate and it took a bit of muscle to snap!
“The chocolate is 72% cocoa and had a very rich dark chocolate taste which I loved, although it was slightly too dark for my Mum. The taste comes through powerfully after each mouthful, so you can appreciate the richness and depth of flavour long after. However, the chocolate did have quite a crumbly texture which we weren’t particularly taken with.
“This egg costs £25, which in terms of the beautiful hand-crafted design is well worth it – it’s extravagant and beautiful. But, for those who are just looking forward to some delicious, creamy, milk chocolate, you may be better off sticking with a cheaper option. Though it was delicious, the rich taste and crumbly texture won’t be for everyone!
“So, while perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, this egg and its pretty floral decorations will make a lovely Easter treat for anyone vegan, dairy-free, or who simply loves dark chocolate.”
What is Easter?
With the egg-tasting out the way, let’s take a closer look at how we got here – which starts with the question: what’s Easter all about?
Easter is a religious festival celebrated by Christians around the world. It commemorates how, three days after being crucified, Jesus rose from the dead.
Jesus was arrested on charges of blasphemy after he claimed to be the Son of God. Deeply threatened by his teachings, other religious leaders successfully pressured Roman leader Pontius Pilate to sentence Jesus to death by crucifixion.
The exact date of Easter changes year on year, but it’s celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon, on or after the 21st of March. This year, Easter Sunday falls on the 31st of March.
Christians celebrate Easter over one week, known as Holy Week. This marks the end of 40 days of Lent (the period that Jesus spent fasting and praying before his crucifixion).
Holy Week includes…
Palm Sunday
The Sunday before Easter Sunday is known as Palm Sunday and signals the start of Holy Week. It marks the moment that Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and was greeted by huge crowds who threw palm branches before him.
Many Anglican and Roman Catholic churches give out crosses made from palm leaves to symbolise this moment.
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday sees Christians remember the Last Supper. This was when Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples and revealed that one of them would betray him.
Jesus blessed the bread and wine, and shared these with the group, explaining that the bread represented his body and the wine his blood. These actions are reenacted every Sunday in Christian churches as part of Holy Communion, and are a reminder that Jesus sacrificed his life for mankind.
Good Friday
The Friday before Easter Sunday is a day of mourning for Christians, as it’s when they remember Jesus’ crucifixion.
Jesus was forced to carry his own cross through the streets of Jerusalem and wear a crown of thorns. During his painful death, he continued to pray to God for mercy on those who’d harmed him.
For Christians, Jesus’ execution signifies how he died for people’s sins so that they could receive forgiveness from God.
Easter Sunday
The last day of Holy Week commemorates Jesus’ resurrection. After his death, Jesus’ body was buried in a cave tomb guarded by Roman soldiers. However, when Mary Magdalene and some of Jesus’ disciples visited the tomb on Sunday, they found that the large stone covering the tomb’s entrance had been moved and his body was missing.
Jesus was seen later that day by Mary and the disciples, as well as by many others for forty days afterwards. They realised that Jesus was alive – he had risen again.
Christians believe Jesus was resurrected by God and that this offers people hope for the possibility of eternal life and the end of suffering. This is why Easter is a joyful time of celebration and arguably the most significant event in the Christian calendar.
How is Easter celebrated in the UK?
Church services
Easter is celebrated in various ways. As an important Christian festival, many people attend church services. Some churches also hold re-enactments of Jesus’ crucifixion to remember the day and give personal penance.
Easter lunch
As well as being a religious celebration, Easter has become a cultural one too, and is commemorated by many non-Christians. It’s common to celebrate by playing games and having a special meal with loved ones – traditionally a lamb roast dinner.
Easter lunch is especially important for Christians who may have given up certain foods during Lent, as they can enjoy a tasty meal to mark the end of any fasting.
Hot cross buns
Hot cross buns are another way food plays a role in the festivities. Historically, people may have given up eggs and butter for Lent, so sweet buns were an exciting way to begin eating these foods again.
Hot cross buns have been eaten at Easter in the UK since the 12th century, although the buns themselves have pagan origins. Each bun is decorated with the symbol of the cross as a way to remember Jesus’ sacrifice, and fruits and spices are added to symbolise health and success.
Easter cards and games
Traditions such as sending Easter cards and organising Easter egg hunts date back to the Victorian era in England. Victorians would also play a game called ‘Egg Roll’ where children would roll an egg down a hill and see whose went furthest.
The Easter Bunny
Another cultural concept closely linked to Easter is that of the Easter Bunny. Although the origins of the Easter Bunny are largely unknown, it’s linked with spring and the pagan goddess Eostre, who has an association with hares.
These pagan ideas likely merged with Christian beliefs in 16th-century Germany and the ‘Easter Hare’ emerged. In German folklore, the bunny brought sweet treats in a basket to good children’s homes, in much the same way as Santa Claus does at Christmas time.
Then, during the 18th century, the tradition of the Easter Bunny reached America and became more widely associated with the Easter weekend.
Easter parades and fairs
Many UK towns will celebrate by holding Easter parades, Easter egg hunts, craft fairs, and hosting family walking trails over the bank holiday weekend.
You can browse events being held in your local area, here.
How do Easter celebrations differ around the world?
Easter isn’t celebrated in the same way everywhere, though. For example, in Bermuda, children fly kites as a symbol of how Jesus rose from the dead, while in Poland people gather on Easter Monday to pour water on one another as a symbol of new life and renewal.
In other countries, children play ‘egg-tapping’. This 14th-century game sees players attempt to break another player’s hard-boiled egg with their own, representing how Jesus broke free of his tomb.
So…why do people eat chocolate at Easter?
Once March arrives, we begin to see Easter eggs in the shops, and many of us look forward to enjoying our own chocolate egg on Easter Sunday. But why is this?
Eggs are an ancient symbol of new life and rebirth. They would historically be given as gifts to mark the spring equinox and reflect the changing seasons.
These ideas merged with Christian beliefs and eggs began to represent Jesus’ resurrection (his rebirth) and the stone that was rolled away from Jesus’ tomb. Plus, Christians historically gave up eggs for Lent, so gifting them on Easter Sunday became a way to celebrate the end of fasting.
Traditionally, chicken eggs would be hard-boiled and decorated during Easter. However, now most people enjoy chocolate eggs instead. Chocolate eggs were first introduced during the 19th century in France and Germany and were made of solid, dark chocolate.
British chocolatiers JS Fry & Sons sold the first hollow chocolate egg in 1873, which was then mass-produced by John Cadbury in 1875.
Final thoughts…
Easter is a joyful celebration that marks an end to Lent and, significantly, the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. For Christians, this confirms that Jesus was the Son of God and that, through him people can receive forgiveness and eternal life.
For others in the UK, Easter is simply a time to come together with loved ones, eat some tasty food, and welcome spring.
We hope that this article has given you some insight into Easter, including why and how it’s celebrated. And, for our readers preparing for their celebrations, we wish you a happy Easter!
For further inspiration, why not read our article on Easter baking ideas?
Do you celebrate Easter? What are your favourite parts of the Easter celebrations? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
