SC - Easter and eggs

[Jeff Gedney]

A while ago someone sought to find reference to the giving of eggs in 
period for Easter.
I found the following in Hakluyt's voyages. It is from an Account of the 
Manners of the Russian People - written in 1557 by Richard Johnson
(text has been altered form the original only in that the spelling was 
updated by the editor of the book I used. I compared certain sections to 
sections I have in facsimile, and verified that not language alterations 
other than spelling have been made in the edition I took this from. I did 
not have this section in facsimile. )

"The rest of this week until Easter Day they kept very solemnly, 
continuing in their houses for the most part, and upon Monday or 
Thursday the Emperor doth always use to receive the sacrament, 
and so do most of his nobles. Upon Good Friday they continue all 
day in contemplation and prayers, and they use every year on 
Good Friday to let loose a prisoner in the stead of Barabbas. 
The night following they go to the church, where they sleep until 
the next morning, and at Easter they have the resurrection, and 
after every of the Lents they eat flesh the next week following, Friday, 
Saturday, and all.

They have an order at Easter which they always observe, and that 
is this: every year against Easter to dye or colour red with brazil a 
great number of eggs, of which every man and woman giveth one 
unto the priest of their parish upon Easter Day in the morning. 
And moreover the common people use to carry in their hands one 
of their red eggs, not only upon Easter Day but also three or four 
days after, and gentlemen and gentlewomen have eggs gilded which 
they carry in like manner They use it, as they say, for a great love, 
and in token of the resurrection whereof they rejoice. For when two 
friends meet during the Easter holy days, they come and take one 
another by the hand; the one of them saith, "The Lord, or Christ, is 
risen", the other answereth, "It is so of a truth", and then they kiss 
and exchange their eggs, both men and women, continuing in kissing 
4 days together."

- -brandu