The History of Easter Baskets (and All of the Treats Inside Them) (2024)

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The History of Easter Baskets (and All of the Treats Inside Them)? ›

The tradition of exchanging baskets is said to be descended from early medieval Catholics. To celebrate the end of Lent, they would bring baskets of delicious goods to church in order to be blessed by a priest.

Worshipers brought baskets of food with them to church to be blessed by the priest as part of the celebration of the end of Lent. Many of the other secular traditions connected with Easter — such as candy eggs, the Easter egg hunt, the Easter parade, and sending Easter cards — began in earnest in the Victorian era.

The mixture of meats, eggs, breads and other foods are a celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus after 40 days of Lenten sacrifice. Baskets are typically lined with a white cloth and decorated with ribbons, flowers, and greenery to symbolize spring, renewal, and the Resurrection.

The Religious Significance Behind Easter Baskets

The basket itself symbolizes the tomb from which Jesus emerged victorious over death, just as the egg symbolizes new life and resurrection. Thus, the act of giving and receiving Easter baskets becomes a tangible expression of faith.

The foods in the baskets have a symbolic meaning: eggs - symbolise life and Christ's resurrection. bread - symbolic of Jesus. lamb - represents Christ. salt - represents purification.

Throughout history, people have given each other eggs at spring festivals to celebrate the new season. Eggs represent new life and rebirth, and it's thought that this ancient custom became a part of Easter celebrations.

The early medieval Catholics saw Easter baskets as a way to celebrate the end of Lent. People would fill baskets with food and treats and bring them to the church where a priest would bless the baskets.

And what do they have to do with the resurrection of Jesus? Well, nothing. Bunnies, eggs, Easter gifts and fluffy, yellow chicks in gardening hats all stem from pagan roots. They were incorporated into the celebration of Easter separately from the Christian tradition of honoring the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

According to European folklore, a rabbit was said to leave a basket filled with colored eggs for children, and when settlers immigrated to America, they brought the story with them. Eggs (decorated or otherwise) have historically been mythological motifs for new life, also a common symbol of Easter.

Legend has it that the Easter Bunny lays, decorates and hides eggs for good children, as they are also a symbol of new life. This is why some children might enjoy Easter egg hunts as part of the festival.

What are the three empty promises of Easter? ›

There are three empty promises of Easter: the empty cross, the empty tomb, and the empty grave clothes.

The answer may lie in combining iconography. Eggs, just like the rabbit, have long been considered an ancient symbol of fertility, rebirth and new life, all associated with the springtime celebration of Easter! From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs represent Jesus' resurrection and his emergence from the tomb.

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter takes place three days after Jesus's death on Good Friday. This holiday concludes the “Passion of Christ” series of holidays that began with Ash Wednesday.

Easter baskets and the Easter Bunny were brought to America in the 18th century by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. They brought the idea of the egg-delivering hare called “Osterhase” with them, along with the idea that children should prepare nests for the bunny to leave brightly colored eggs on Easter.

The ritual of assembling Easter baskets with symbolic foods and having a priest perform a rite of blessing with holy water on the day before Easter dates to the early 12th century in Poland. The activity spread to other countries and churches, including Catholic and Orthodox.

Symbolically, gift baskets often represent abundance and shared prosperity. In many cultures, baskets filled with goods symbolize a bountiful harvest and are shared to spread joy within the community.

The History of Gift Baskets: The Earliest Mentions

One of the earliest records of gifts presented in a basket is linked to a pagan fertility goddess of crops, dawn, and light, Eostre, who is said to have carried a basket of young plants as sacred offerings.

Custom had it that the hare would bring a basket of brightly painted eggs for all the children who had been good, and these would be hidden around the house and garden for the children to find.

Recent archaeological research appears to confirm the worship of Eostre in parts of England and Germany, with the hare as her main symbol. The Easter bunny therefore seems to recall these pre-Christian celebrations of spring, heralded by the vernal equinox and personified by the goddess Eostre.

The custom of blessing the Easter foods arose from the strict Lenten fasting of the past, when meat, eggs, fats, and other foods were forbidden during Lent. Easter was thus greeted with great joy as the day when Christ arose and when fasts were ended.