Easter in Belgium

Although Easter is a Christian festival, it has a pagan origin.
The Germans worshiped in the spring Ostara, the goddess of spring and fertility. The Germans sacrificed eggs in her honor. Several of the Germanic customs were incorporated into the Christian faith. Thus the farmers gave their best eggs to the priest, as Easter offerings, which were sometimes colored eggs in order to know which were the oldest eggs



An older egg tradition dates back to China. In the seventh century BC The Chinese already eat colored eggs. During the celebration of their spring festival, they made no fire for three days. They wanted to make the Sun the chance to thaw nature.

Besides all the stories about ancient spring festivals and symbolic traditions, there is an explanation for the fact that we do at Easter, in spring, many eat eggs. During the dark winter months, the place is almost completely silent. Broke to spring, then suddenly there were plenty of eggs.

The oldest painted egg, which we know was found in a grave near Worms, Germany. This egg would come from the fourth century BC.

An earlier tradition of the Easter tree to a pole, four cross laths which were hung colored eggs. eggs that had a symbolic significance: they represent new life. Now in the weeks before Easter ornamental branches of willow or hazel sold, which colored eggs hang



Actually, the Easter bells ordinary clocks that hung in the churches. On Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, the bells have wings (like those of angels) and the bells go to Rome, to go pick up Easter eggs. Beware of Easter, they return their stock of eggs and throwing them (in the clock are stored during the journey) over Flanders. Between Palm Sunday and Easter, the churches do not read clocks, that is because they are all traveling to Rome. Easter clocks are very difficult to see because they are mostly at night flying, and very fast.