Lithuanian Easter eggs
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A delightfully ornate Easter display. Easter eggs
Humans have been decorating eggs for Easter, such as these ornate examples from Lithuania, for centuries. Though decorated ostrich eggs have been found from as far back as 60,000 years ago, the modern Easter egg usually comes from a chicken and is a symbol of fertility and rebirth. The exact origin of why people started decorating eggs for Easter is unknown. A common theory is that during the religious Lenten season, animal products could not be eaten, so people would hard-boil the eggs and decorate them with dye, wax, leaves and other ornamental materials until they could be eaten on Easter. Another kind of decorated eggs, Fabergé eggs, are famous for their history as bejewelled Easter gifts to the Russian Imperial family. What creative ideas do you have to decorate eggs this Easter?