Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-03-28
The Origin of Easter Eggs


Germany is the home OF the Easter egg.
Other lands, Of course, have them, but no.
where are they go beautiful or so freely be-
slowed, or used in go many lively games.
On Easter morning In Garmsny there Is q
ways great excitement over the oolored
eggs and sugar eggs. and painted eggs ard
eggs with presents inside found 10 the pe sts
the children have prepared, and every little
one you meet will be saying, "O1, just se g
what the dear little Easter Hare has brought
me ~ No one seems to be quite sure where
this idea started. Some sGy it came from
the old days OF heathen-worship. But
| have heard a vice German scholar tell this
story, and be says that it is believed by
most thoughtful people among tbs Ger
! maDs:
Many hundred years ago there lived
good and noble woman whose name was
Frau RosalInda Won Lindenburg In those
| days cruel War was laying waste the land !,
and she had to fly from her home Ia the
dead of night, with her two children. At
| fret she knew not where to go, but her old
serving man begged her to go with him 10
bis own people, who lived in little mining
village away, hidden in the Harz mouE.
tains. SO the noble Countess put herself
in his care, apd his brothers and
sisters we're very kind to the poor
wanderers, took them in and gave them
the best they had. But the best they had
was very poor, and, at first, the dnintiIy-
reared woman and children came near starv-
ing. There was no meat, no fish, and rot
even an egg apdthis last for the good reason
| that there was not single fowl In the SET
| tIement. These domestic fowls that seem
| so common to US. and that we see every
| where, at first came from the far East, and
| Dad at that time Only been seen in large
cities aud town. Aud these mountain folks
! had never even heard of such strange
BIRDS"
So the Countess decided to repay their
kindness She secretely cent her old Ger
want down to their old home. There he
| found the castle almost wholly destroyed,
but was lucky enough to gather up large
number of the chickens that still roasted
about their old home. he brought them up
| to the mountains aud great was the surprise
Of all the peasants az they cav the queer
birds. But few weeks afterwards they
we're still more estonished and delighted ,
for young brood of chicks was shown to
them by the kind Countess. Oh, how the
village children laughed and capred their
hands at the sight Of the little, downy,
bright. eyed creatures, who were 30 strong
and spry, and who followed the old hen
about to pick up their food on the very day
they came out of their shells Such con-
tras5 to the blind, bald. ugly little fedgines
that they saw 10 he nests in the hedges.
Now the Countess saved up her eggs nD-
i'll she bad enough fcr feast. when she in
| Vited all the housewives to come snd taste
| the new food, and learn bow TO prepare it..
A. tb oln 6 Il pha 70 ~
~ number of tows t. take home and use
for her family. When Ester came, she was
anxious to do something 70, the children.
ID it occurred to her that as the egg was
the sign of new life 1t would be nice thing
to have en- egg festivals for the cbildrsD's
| Easter treat. So che took moses and roote,
| and with them colored some of the eggs
saying that "the earth lays aside her mantle
otsnoW in the epriDg, ard God himself made
| The fruit and berries not only good to eat,
| but pleasant to look upon"
On Easter Sunday, after the villagers bad
! met for their simple service, she called all
! the little ones, and after talking pleasantly
to them for awhile, she led them into grove
rear by. There she told them to play about
and pretend they were little brides, and
make themselves some cute little nests.
Then she called them to her house, or cot
! tage, and gave them little feast of the best
she could prepare. II was only some nice
| milk-soup. with cooked eggs and egg-cakes.
| When they had finished their feast, they
heard great wh;stIing, and cooling, end
speaking in the grove where they had left
| their nests. What could be the matter2
The children ran back to see, and 10 in ev-
cry nest there were FIVE beautiful color
ed eggs, and on one of these, little
rhyme was painted Imagine the SUNRISE
| auc delight of these simple children. They
talked emong themselves ard wondered
where they came from "Whss strange
hen 1t must be to lay eggs of 30 many COL
ors ~ said one. "Oh, do not think that
hens lay such hard egas," said another But
third one said: 81 am sure 1t Sas that dear
little hare / saw jumping out from behind
the bushes whereG made my nest" This
idea seemed to please the little ones. and
they all shouted togather-'Yes yes. thu lit
tie hare laid the oolored eggs" And they
kept on repea.spg 1t until they begsn TO be-
| ieve it.
Not iong af;erward, as the Countess sat
| talking to the childrep, who wes Il that the
little daughter saw coming up the mountain :?
1t YVES the dear father. the husband whom
| they all tadugnt must be dead. ADd as he
came to them On this Easter day, it vas az
othe. reaeop why the Countess loved tie
day and wished to have 1t always celebrated.
So when she went bsck With her husband
and children to rebuild their cd home, she
left sum of money to bs expended 10 Civ
ing the children an Easter egg.fesst every
year. She also started the fashion OF an
"egg-feast" 10 her own ducby, and so 1t
grew, and by degrees the custom spread all
over the laud. and the eggs also a. length
became a sort of symbol of restoration TO
happiness and redemption from sin. The
custom has epresd to our owo country, but