Why do we hunt for eggs in the grass at Easter?

This morning, French gardens are transformed into hunting grounds. Children in sneakers rummage through the flowerbeds, parents pretend not to notice, and eggs appear as if by magic behind a hedge or at the foot of a geranium pot. The scene has become a classic, almost a family ritual, but its origin lies less in a single tradition than in a patient accumulation of beliefs, religious rules, and popular customs.

Long before the Christian calendar, the egg already symbolized spring: the return of life, the promise of renewal. Ancient civilizations, like the Egyptians and the Persians, dyed eggs to mark this pivotal moment when winter gives way. The Catholic Church in France readily acknowledges this, proof that some customs die hard and can endure through the centuries without asking permission.

From a Christian perspective, the egg takes on a new meaning: it becomes associated with the resurrection. Historian Nadine Cretin, a specialist in festivals, dates the appearance of egg blessings in certain parishes as early as the 12th century. In the Middle Ages, Lent regulated consumption, sometimes even prohibiting it, which led to stockpiling. After forty days, people had accumulated reserves, and these eggs ended up on the table, as offerings, or in games, a practice that sources also attest to in the 18th century.

Silent bells, traveling rabbit, king chocolate

Silent bells, a traveling rabbit, chocolate king. In France, church bells have taken root in the collective imagination with a logic akin to popular catechism: they remain silent from Maundy Thursday to Holy Saturday. When they ring again, legend has them "returning" laden with eggs or sweets, as if Rome also had a delivery service. The rabbit, however, arrives through a different gateway, that of Rhineland traditions and the Germanic world, where the hare, a symbol of spring fertility, becomes the bearer of eggs—an imagery that has spread particularly in Alsace-Moselle.

Chocolate, for its part, has no mystical pretensions, but it has won the day. It became established with the rise of chocolate making in the 19th century, then became ingrained in our habits in the 20th, eventually becoming the official currency of Easter. The Easter egg hunt became significantly more popular after the Second World War, driven by industry, packaging, gifts that are easy to give and share, and that small, immediate pleasure that always hits the mark.

One very concrete detail remains, the one that catches up with tradition at the checkout: chocolate costs more. The cocoa market has been under pressure for months, and the high prices are felt right on the shelves, just as demand is rising. The Easter bells may "return," but families sometimes adjust the size of their gifts, and Easter continues its journey, a mix of inheritance, commerce, and little everyday tricks.