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Why do Children get Chocolate at Easter?
If you celebrate Easter, you’ve probably enjoyed many pieces of chocolate during the festive holiday. But have you ever thought about why chocolate is such a popular treat on Easter, especially for children? It may not have crossed your mind, but there is actually a lot of history behind the giving of chocolate during the Easter holiday.
Not A Religious Tradition
Although Easter itself is a very religious celebration for Christians throughout the world, chocolate is not a religious tradition. While many other food traditions for Easter, such as eating lamb, are based on stories of Jesus, there isn’t a religious connection to the chocolate bunnies, eggs, and other candies that children enjoy today.
German Origins
Most historians believe that the tradition of eating chocolate on Easter comes from German immigrants. Germans originally came up with the idea of the Easter Bunny, who, as legend has it, would lay eggs for the children. These eggs were supposed to represent the new life and good luck brought on by the spring season, as well as the new life that happened in the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Eggs were often avoided during lent, so they would be colored and held onto until Easter Day when the Lenten season came to an end. This means that it was okay to eat eggs again, but it wasn’t just limited to chicken eggs.
Instead of giving actual eggs to children, many Germans made chocolate eggs instead. Children would often leave out carrots for the Easter Bunny in order to get these candy eggs. When the idea of the Easter Bunny was brought over to America in the 1700s, this tasty chocolate tradition came with him. This led to many American families adopting the tradition and leaving chocolate for their children on Easter morning.
American Adaptations
Because chocolate eggs were so popular when they came over to America, many chocolate manufacturers decided to latch onto the trend and even add more types of candy. By the 1900s, chocolate makers across the country were making not only chocolate eggs, but also chocolate Easter Bunnies, birds, and baskets filled with chocolates. It just made sense to do so as the eggs were very popular among American children.
It Just Tastes Good
For the most part, chocolate is given to children on Easter as a treat because they simply love it! Parents can teach the religious meanings and traditions of the holiday by giving their kids chocolate figures who represent the stories that go back to ancient days. Kids, in return, will be happy to have such a tasty treat and may be more willing to listen to the stories and possibly even behave throughout the day!
It isn’t just children who get to enjoy eating chocolate at Easter, either. Plenty of adults are just as excited about the variety of little snacks that they get to indulge in on one of their favorite religious holidays.
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