Easter, or "passing over". Pascha in Greek and Latin, the word derives from the Aramaic pasha which corresponds to Hebrew weighs. The etymology is uncertain, it seems that the word means "passage" (diabasis, transitus). The protagonist of 'this passing beyond' is the people of Israel who free themselves from the slavery ofEgypt and arrives in the Promised Land, via the Red Sea.
Even the Christian Passover, like the Jewish one, expresses a sort of passage. With his sacrifice, Christ passes from his death on the cross to the resurrection. The son of God sacrifices himself for humanity by passing from the slavery of sin to the joy of salvation. Christian Easter is, therefore, the feast of the resurrection; the Jewish one is Passover of liberation from slavery. It can also be understood as 'waiting' for the Messiah. The Christian Easter instead seals the "New Covenant" between God and man redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ.
Christian Easter, the blessing of Pope Urbi and Orbi
To the city and to the world. It is the blessing that is recited by the Pope in the most important moments of the liturgical year (Easter, Christmas, the beginning of each pontificate). Urbi et Orbi is a Latin phrase which means speech "to the city (of Rome) and to the whole world". The blessing is a prayer that is pronounced in Latin by the Pontiff and contains a formula for the remission of sins and indulgence.
On the one hand, the divine mercy that is addressed to 'difficult' hearts of meni, on the other hand, the plenary indulgence which grants all the faithful the possibility of forgiveness of sins committed. Before the pontificate of St. John Paul II, it was not customary for the Holy Father to also give a speech along with the blessing. The Polish pope also revolutionized this practice. His successors (Pope Ratzinger e Pope Bergoglio) have fully welcomed the novelty, also giving their own speech together with the recitation of the ancient prayer of blessing.
The meaning of the egg for the pagans
Between the many symbols of Easter there is also the egg of chocolate that, as has become tradition, we see packaged in many shapes by the best pastry chefs. Sweet eggs are an inevitable delicacy on Easter tables but, in truth, its origin and its symbolism are very ancient. Already in ancient times pagan religions the symbol of the egg was related to the meaning of life. The peoples of antiquity considered the egg as a representation of the union of the earth with the sky, which merged into a single creation.
The ancient Egyptians symbolically attributed to the egg the function of fulcrum of the four elements that make up the universe: earth, water, air and fire. Already with paganism the egg symbolized the rebirth with particular reference to the arrival of spring, the time of year when nature blossoms again after the long and cold winter. The ancient Romans they buried an egg painted red in the cultivated fields in order to favor the soil fertility and thus ensure a copious harvest.
The Christian symbolism of the Easter egg
Christianity considers the egg as a symbol of life and rebirth. The egg, an expression of fecundity, is closely linked to the meaning of Easter which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and which renews the hope of men in eternal life.
The egg contains a new life inside, as does the tomb of Christ left empty after the resurrection, it represents the real possibility of a rebirth after death, towards the afterlife.
Eggs as a gift
When and how did the custom of exchanging eggs on the occasion of Easter come about? The tradition began in Germany; since Middle Ages artificial eggs were created to offer as a gift. These were objects made with precious metals, richly decorated and commissioned by the sovereigns to the local artisans.
The golden eggs rich in precious stones liked them so much Tsar of Russia. St. Petersburg goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergè at the end of the XNUMXth century, for the rulers of the great empire, he made spectacular creations that are among the most famous objects of that time. The first egg was commissioned from the artist by Tsar Alexander III for his wife. Fabergè eggs they are still today among the symbols of the splendor and luxury of Russia of all times and not only of the Tsarist era.
