by Karen Shughart
Spring, up here in the Finger Lakes, is a time of rebirth. Winter gradually disappears, the snow melts in a rush and then, to our delight, we watch as colorful flowers start to emerge from the earth and the trees begin to bloom. As the days get longer the sun rises earlier, announced by a chorus of birds who gleefully sing their cheerful songs to let us know that they, after a long winter, have, like the flowers, returned. It’s the season when they find their mates and build their nests, laying eggs that will be cared for until they hatch into chicks and after being nurtured to maturity, fly away. In truth, even the sky, pale in winter, is now often the color of a robin’s egg.
Eggs have a role in many religious observances that are held this time of year. For example, the Jewish holiday of Passover – an eight-day commemoration celebrating the exodus of biblical Jews from slavery in Egypt – features a dinner called a Seder that occurs on the first two nights with readings, prayers and songs. In the middle of the table sits a Seder plate, which contains a variety of foods that represent various aspects of the journey to freedom, including a roasted egg, which symbolizes hope, renewal and the cycle of life.
Eggs are featured prominently as part of the Christian holiday of Easter, too, which frequently takes place around the same time as Passover. In fact, the Passover Seder was Jesus’ last supper. One of the most beloved traditions celebrated by children and adults alike is to participate in festive Easter egg hunts where participants eagerly search for beautifully decorated hard-boiled eggs. The activity is rooted in both Christian and pre-Christian customs, the eggs symbolizing new life, fertility and the arrival of spring. Early Christians, who did not eat eggs during Lent, cooked them for later consumption, associating those eggs with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
While the Muslim holiday of Ramadan happens at different seasons of the year because of the Islamic lunar calendar, it occasionally takes place in the spring. It’s observed with a month of fasting from dawn to dusk, communal prayer, reflection, studying the Quran, charity and strengthening community ties. The three-day celebration of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and includes a community-wide prayer service and feasts. The meals include traditional and cultural dishes, including some prepared with eggs. While not a formal Islamic ritual, decorated eggs are also central to Nowruz, the Persian New Year, celebrated by many Muslims as a secular and ethnic festival of spring and fertility.
