EUROPEAN EASTER TRADITIONS OF CATHOLIC AND ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS
How the egg became a Christian symbol
Many of the traditions associated with Easter are of pre-Christian origin. In other words, the church, being unable to destroy the remnants of pagan beliefs in the popular mind, was forced to accept them. Giving them, of course, a new meaning. However, it would be wrong to say that most of the Easter traditions are associated with pagan beliefs. Medieval folk and church traditions gave rise to many new customs, including very funny ones.
Let's start with the most important Easter symbol - eggs.
Probably, our Indo-European ancestors were extremely surprised by the process of the emergence of a living creature from a seemingly completely dead object (as they imagined an egg). And this object has turned into a symbol of fertility and spring, the basis of a new life (by the way, the Easter bunny that lays eggs in nests is also a character of purely pagan origin, like an egg symbolizing fertility).
Even in Ancient Persia, people gave each other eggs on the days of the vernal equinox, which was the beginning of the new year.
With the rise of Christianity, the symbolism of the egg received a new religious interpretation. Now they saw in him a stone that covered the entrance to the tomb of Christ. In addition, the egg was and is one of the foods prohibited during Lent, so its transformation into a symbol of Easter is quite logical.
The custom of painting and exchanging eggs for Easter took root among the peoples of Northern Europe and Christian Asia shortly after the adoption of the new faith. In the countries of Southern Europe and, therefore, in Latin America, this tradition has not spread.
In the Middle Ages, it was customary to present Easter eggs to household and servants. Thus, King Edward I Plantagenet (1239-1307) of England ordered about 450 eggs to be boiled and painted with gold (or wrapped in thin gold sheets) before Easter, which were then handed over to members of the royal court.
Easter eggs were mandatory gifts for children (in some countries, children receive Easter eggs from their godparents). Therefore, in the folk poetry of Germany, Austria, France and Great Britain there are many rhymes in which children demand to give a gift (this tradition is still alive today). Something like playful blackmail: such songs begin with a wish of health, well-being, etc., and then there is a demand to give an egg, otherwise some troubles will fall on the donor (for example, the chickens will die out).
In general, the European tradition knows many children's Easter games in which eggs (colored or simple) appear.
One of the most, perhaps, the most famous - rolling eggs (in the UK "egg-pacing") with a test for the strength of their shell. The winner is the one whose egg remains intact at the end of the game.
In Germany, there is a tradition to look for eggs hidden by the Easter bunny: who will find more. And in some areas of Ireland, two weeks before Easter, on Palm Sunday, children make small nests from stones, where they hide the collected goose and duck eggs for the whole Holy Week. On Easter Sunday, the eggs are eaten together.
Adults also exchange eggs on Easter, and the traditions that accompany donation are different in different countries.Thus, in Ireland, their number was "regulated" by the old saying: "One egg for the real landowner, two eggs for the landowner, three eggs for the poor man, four eggs for the vagrant" ("One egg for the true gentleman; two eggs for the gentleman; three eggs for the churl; four eggs for the lowest churl »)
Easter handball
Pagan traditions can be seen in other medieval folk traditions as well. Thus, in France, Great Britain and Germany, the Easter ball game was widespread, presumably symbolizing the Sun. According to ancient beliefs, on Easter morning, it "jumped" into the sky. Moreover, not only secular people, but also bishops, priests and monks had to throw the ball to each other.
Presumably, after the strict restrictions of Lent, they were only glad to have the opportunity to have fun during the entire Easter week, especially since they could even dance. Such games were called "libertas Decembrica", since earlier in the aristocratic environment there was a tradition in December to play ball with a servant.
In many rural communities in Germany, the custom of the Easter field walk (osterlicher Feldumgang) is still preserved. On Sunday and Monday, the whole family walks around the winter crops of rye and wheat, leaving palm branches and Easter egg shells in the corners of the field.
The opposition of the sexes
Peculiar traditions (also, most likely, of pagan origin) have developed regarding relations between women and men during Easter week. From country to country, their content changed, but the essence remained the same: Easter Monday is women's day, Tuesday is men's.
For example, in the UK on Monday, women had the right to beat their husbands. And the next day they changed places.
A similar tradition existed in Germany. In Neumark, Germany, on the first day of Easter, servants could whip the maids with rods. And on Monday, the maids were already taking up twigs.
Against this background, the traditions of the Western Slavs look more harmless. They had massive youth douches on Easter week.
Likewise, Monday was a man's day (moreover, the guy tried to pour over the girl he liked, receiving colored eggs or other gifts in return with consent), Tuesday was a woman's. Interestingly, it was shameful for the girl to remain dry: they did not pour water on those whose behavior was condemned.
In the northern regions of England, men went out into the streets in droves and, meeting a woman, lifted her three times above the ground. They received a kiss or a silver sixpence as compensation for this behavior. The next day, the women could do the same. It can be assumed, however, that it was more difficult for them to exercise their rights than for men.
Light the fire
The ancient custom of the Passover fire, which previously existed throughout Europe, is also not at all Christian in origin. It consisted in the fact that at the top of the Easter mountain from the new fire, obtained by friction, the Easter bonfire was kindled, in pre-Christian times symbolizing the victory of spring over winter.
The Church, which issued a series of edicts prohibiting sacrilege, did not succeed in all areas of Europe. And again she chose to include the former pagan event in the list of Easter ceremonies. Now the fire began to symbolize the resurrection of Christ. If in some regions of Europe figurines symbolizing winter were previously thrown into the fire, then from the moment of Christianization, the custom of burning the traitor Judas began (for example, Tyrol, Bohemia, in the territories adjacent to the Rhine).
The main Easter dish
Both the Eastern and Western churches have a tradition of blessing food, which was forbidden during the fast. This is especially true for eggs, meat, butter, cheese. It was customary to bless at home as well. For this, the parish priest had to go around the houses of his parishioners on Easter Eve.
The lamb, along with the egg, perhaps the most significant symbol of Easter, has a purely Christian meaning.In the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, pictures or figurines of the Easter lamb representing Christ can be found in almost every home.
The oldest prayer that asks for blessings for lamb meat dates back to the 7th century and is contained in the prayer book of the Benedictine monastery in Bobbio, Italy. In the 9th century, roast lamb became the main dish of the Pope's Easter dinner, but after the 10th century, separate pieces were served instead of the whole lamb. Although in some Benedictine monasteries, a whole lamb is still blessed with ancient prayers.
In any case, lamb is a staple dish on Easter Sunday in many areas of Europe. Also, very often, cookies, rolls, cakes and other pastries are baked in the form of a lamb; sugar and chocolate lambs appear in stores.
In past centuries, meeting a lamb, especially during Easter time, was considered a lucky sign. Popular superstitions argued that the devil, who can take the form of any other animal, cannot transform into a lamb, a sacred animal.
Wake up a clergyman, make a parishioner laugh
There were also some pretty funny customs. From ancient times to the X century, in some regions of France, it was customary to escort canons and vicars who slept through the festive service to the church. Latecomers risked being woken up by the crowd of parishioners. Taking the cross and holy water, the latter went home to the priests and, if they, to their misfortune, were still in bed, doused them with holy water. In addition, as punishment, the guilty person had to feed everyone with breakfast.
In the 15th century, a similar tradition existed in Nantes and Angers, but in 1431 and 1448 the diocesan synod forbade the waking of clergymen, apparently considering it degrading their dignity.
But in Germany, nothing of the kind was prohibited. Perhaps because the tradition did not go beyond the family circle. In some areas of the Holy Roman Empire on Easter, children and parents tried to surprise each other by waking up with (as it was considered) health-giving with spanks of twigs.
A strange tradition has existed since the 14th century in the southern regions of Germany. During the festive sermon, the priest inserted funny stories (Ostermarlein, Easter tales) of a religious nature into it, causing the laughter of the parishioners. For example, a story about how the devil tries to keep the doors of hell closed before Christ descending into hell. The cheerful custom did not last long, though. In Bavaria, for example, Easter tales were banned in the 17th century by Bishop Clement X, and two centuries later by Maximilian III - apparently, the first ban did not work.
