EASTER AND PASTE EGGS

The word Easter is sometimes said to be derived from an pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess' name; there is no convincing evidence for this. The likelihood is that it was a 'sun' event, linked to the Spring or Vernal Equinox. Christian Easter, commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus was linked to the Jewish Passover, which was a moon festival; and so modern Easter remains a movable feast, celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21st March.

From the Latin or French for Easter, we derive the adjective 'Paschal', and the alternatives 'Easter eggs' and 'Pace (or Paste) eggs'. The link between eggs and Easter seems to be no more than the coincidence of Easter with the nesting season of many birds: eggs became an unmistakable symbol of the time of year, as well as carrying overtones of new life and renewal of life.

Chocolate Easter eggs are a relatively new delicacy, first manufactured by Fry's in 1873. The traditions involving actual eggs, blown free of their contents or boiled whole, would seem to be much older. The eggs could be decorated, or rolled down hills, or hidden and searched for.

Pace eggs were usually decorated:

"The eggs being immersed in hot water for a few moments, the end of a common tallow-candle is made use of to inscribe the names of individuals, dates of particular events, &c. The warmth of the egg renders this a very easy process. Thus inscribed, the egg is placed in a pan of hot water, saturated with cochineal or other dye-woods; the part over which the tallow has been passed is impervious to the operation of the dye; and consequently when the egg is removed from the pan, there appears no discolouration of the egg where the inscription has been traced, but the egg presents a white inscription on a coloured ground. The colour of course depends upon the taste of the person who prepared the egg; but usually much variety of colour is made use of.
"Another method of ornamenting 'pace eggs' is, however, much neater, although more laborious, than that with the tallow-candle. The egg being dyed, it may be decorated in a very pretty manner, by means of a penknife, with which the dye may be scraped off, leaving the design white, on a coloured ground."
(The Every-Day Book, 1827 re Cumberland)

"We used to save onion skin, then boil it up in water and put the eggs in. They came out brown, but patterned as the shapes of the bits of onion skin pressed against them in the pan." (Croxdale)

"You could wind string round the eggs and boil them in water with cochineal. They came out with spiral patterns on them. Or wrap ferns round the egg for intricate patterns." (Seaham)

Hints: red cabbage, cocoa, and a number of similar common items can be used as dyes in the water. The appearance is improved by rubbing the finished egg with olive oil.

Jarping eggs:

"This was an old tradition in which everyone joined, every male that is. One person held an egg in a cupped hand showing only the end. The other person used his egg to tap the held egg. The loser was the holder of the first egg to break."

Egg-rolling:

"This used to be on Kinley Hill, every Easter, and you'd go up, and your parents and grand-parents with you, to see you roll the eggs down; not as a contest, just for fun, for it was a good grassy hill then." (Dawdon)