Easter Traditions and Customs

Like Christmas, Easter has accumulated many traditions, some of which have little direct connection to the Christian concept of the resurrection, but instead stem from folk customs.

The term "Lamb" is a scriptural title used for Jesus ("Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" – John 1:29) and also draws from the sacrificial lamb in ancient Israel. Early Christians would place lamb meat beneath the altar, have it blessed, and then consume it on Easter.

Since the 12th century, the end of Lenten fasting has been celebrated with meals including eggs, ham, cheese, bread, and sweets, all of which were blessed especially for the occasion.

The custom of decorating Easter eggs was first recorded in the 13th century. The Church had prohibited the eating of eggs during Holy Week, but chickens naturally continued laying them. These eggs, laid during Holy Week, became "special" eggs, which people began decorating. Over time, the egg itself came to symbolize the resurrection: just as Jesus emerged from the tomb, the chick emerges from the eggshell—a symbol of new life.

In Orthodox tradition, Easter eggs are typically dyed red, representing the blood Jesus shed on the cross.