ORIGINS OF THE EASTER EGG: THE HOLY WOMAN BEHIND THE EASTER TRADITION
A Woman From Scripture Gave Us The Tradition That Brings Families To The Table Over A Dozen or More Hard Boiled Eggs Every Easter And You Already Know Who She Is
Every spring, millions of Christians dye eggs in bright colors and children hunt them in tall grass and churchyards. It’s a light-hearted tradition, but like many Christian customs, there’s a deeper story behind it. Buried underneath the chocolate bunnies and jellybeans is a story from the earliest days of Christianity, when one of Jesus followers took the story of his life to the throne of the Roman Emperor. Despite what some neo-pagans might claim, the origin of Easter eggs has nothing to do with fertility goddesses or the spring equinox. It comes from a bold Jewish woman, a skeptical emperor, and the miracle of transformation.
Her name was Mary Magdalene. Not the fallen woman of her Biblical introduction, but a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Mary was one of the few who stood by Him at the crucifixion and the first to witness His resurrection. After Christs ascension, tradition tells us Mary traveled to Rome to stand before Emperor Tiberius himself. As a gift of good-will, she carried a simple egg—then, as now, a symbol of new life.
When Mary greeted the emperor, she proclaimed the news that changed the world: “Christ is risen”. Tiberius, unimpressed and offended at the proclamation that a crucified Jew could be the Son of God, mocked her message. He spun the egg in his fingers and ordered his guards to arrest Mary. “A dead Jew, the Son of God” he scoffed, “Thats as likely as your egg turning red.” According to tradition, the moment the words left his mouth, the egg did just that—blazing a brilliant, supernatural crimson in his hand.
The emperor was shaken, ordered the guards to release Mary, and cautiously placed the egg back in her hand. Alarmed by the boldness of her witness and the clear ability of the God she represented to perform miracles, he ordered Mary to leave Rome. Centuries later God would perform another miracle for a different Roman Emperor, a man named Constantine who would convert to Christianity and take the entire Roman Empire with him.
Since Mary’s audience in Rome, the red egg has been a symbol of the resurrection, divine power over death, and the blood Christ shed to redeem mankind. In Eastern Orthodox churches, it remains common to dye eggs deep red at Easter to remember Mary’s witness and Christ’s triumph over the grave.
For believers who know the story of Mary Magdalene and the miracle before Emperor Tiberius, the egg becomes more than a holiday tradition — it becomes a witness. A symbol not of fertility or springtime, but of something far more profound: the triumph of life over death, the promise of resurrection, and the crimson-stained hope of salvation.
Christ Is Risen!
