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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 might not know why…
If you’ve ever wondered how the chocolate Easter egg came to be, keep reading to find out more.
How in demand are Easter eggs?
The tradition of gifting eggs at Easter has been around for centuries. And, Brits are expected to get through a staggering 123 million Easter eggs this year, with an estimated £2.39 billion expected to be spent on Easter in 2026.
There’s a huge range of eggs available – from expensive hand-crafted, luxury eggs to the mass-produced versions lining supermarket shelves. And while this variety caters to different budgets and tastes, it also reflects how commercialised the Easter market has become, with major confectionery brands dominating sales.
However, shoppers are increasingly feeling the pinch. Research shows that the price of popular branded chocolate eggs has risen by more than 40% in some cases, while the size of the products has simultaneously decreased – a phenomenon widely known as “shrinkflation.”
A big part of this comes down to rising costs behind the scenes. Cocoa prices have been particularly unpredictable, with poorer harvests in major producing countries like Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire making chocolate more expensive to produce. Plus, increases in energy, transport, and labour costs have added further pressure on manufacturers, which is now being reflected in what shoppers see on the shelves.
While this shift has left many people feeling that Easter treats don’t quite offer the same value as they once did, stats show they remain a staple of the season, with demand showing little sign of slowing despite rising prices.
But beyond consumerism, it can help to remind ourselves what Easter is actually about.
What is Easter?
With those eggcellent stats out of the way, let’s look closer at how we got here – which starts with the question: what’s Easter all about?
Easter is a religious festival celebrated by Christians worldwide. It commemorates how 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.
Three days after his death, the Bible says that Jesus’ tomb was found empty, and he appeared to his followers in Jerusalem, demonstrating that he had been resurrected.
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 5th April.
Christians celebrate Easter over one week, known as Holy Week. This marks the end of 40 days of Lent – a period of fasting, reflection and prayer that commemorates the time Jesus spent in the wilderness 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. According to the Bible, it marks the moment that Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and was greeted by 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. The Bible says that 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 regularly in many 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 many Christians, as it’s when they remember Jesus’ crucifixion, where he was made to carry his own cross through the streets of Jerusalem and crowned with thorns.
During his crucifixion, he’s described in the Bible as asking God to forgive those responsible for his suffering.
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. The Bible says that, after his death, Jesus’ body was placed in a rock tomb, which was sealed with a large stone and guarded by Roman soldiers.
On Sunday, Mary Magdalene and other women visited the tomb and found that the large stone had been moved and the body was gone.
Jesus was seen later that day by Mary and the disciples, as well as by many others, for 40 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. Buns are decorated with the symbol of the cross to remember Jesus’ sacrifice, and often made with fruits and spices 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 are unclear, it’s often linked to earlier springtime traditions and folklore, including associations with hares.
These pagan ideas likely merged with Christian beliefs in 16th-century Germany to create the ‘Easter Hare’. 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 broadly linked with 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.
Global traditions
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 traditional 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 the end of 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 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.
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