An egg hunt is a game during which decorated eggs, real hard-boiled ones or artificial, filled with or made of chocolate candies, of various sizes, are hidden in various places for children to find. The game may be both indoors and outdoors.

When the hunt is over, prizes may be given out for various achievements, such as the largest number of eggs collected, for the largest or smallest egg, for the most eggs of a specific color, consolation prizes, booby prizes, etc.

Real eggs may further be used in egg tapping contests. If eggs filled with confetti left from Mardi Gras (cascarones) are used, then an egg fight may follow.

Eggs are placed with varying degree of concealment, to accommodate children of varying ages. In South German folk traditions it was customary to add extra obstacles to the game by placing them into hard-to reach places among nettles or thorns.

History

The egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in pre-Christian celebrations of spring. However, the Easter egg itself was defined by early Christians as an Easter symbol of the resurrection of Jesus: the egg symbol was likened to the tomb from which Christ arose.

Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are decorated eggs that are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tradition is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as chocolate. Eggs, in general, were a traditional symbol of fertility, and rebirth.

History

The practice of decorating eggshells is ancient, predating Christian traditions. Ostrich eggs with engraved decoration that are 60,000 years old have been found in Africa. Decorated ostrich eggs, and representations of ostrich eggs in gold and silver, were commonly placed in graves of the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians as early as 5,000 years ago.

The Christian custom of the Easter egg, can be traced as far back as the early Christians of Mesopotamia, who stained eggs red in memory of the blood of Christ. The Christian Church officially adopted the custom, regarding the eggs as a symbol of the resurrection. The Roman Ritual, the first edition of which was published in 1610 but which contains texts of much older date, has among the Easter Blessings of Food, along with those for lamb, bread, and new produce, the following blessing for eggs:

An Easter egg is an intentional inside joke, hidden message, or feature in an interactive work such as a computer program, video game or DVD menu screen. The name has been said to evoke the idea of a traditional Easter egg hunt.

According to game designer Warren Robinett, this traditional term was coined into the context of media by Atari personnel who were alerted to the presence of a secret message which had been hidden by Robinett in his already widely distributed game, Adventure. Released in 1979, Atari's Adventure contains the first video game Easter egg to have been discovered by its players; the hidden item is the name of the game's programmer, Warren Robinett. Robinett inserted his Easter egg late in the game's development in an attempt to gain some recognition for his work, as Atari then kept its programmers' names secret. In 2004, an earlier Easter egg was found in Video Whizball, a 1978 game for the Fairchild Channel F system, displaying programmer Bradley Reid-Selth's surname.

Easter egg may refer to:

See also

Egg hunt is a game of collecting hidden eggs. The term may also refer to:

Egg Hunt was a one-off band/project of long time friends and musicians Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, former singer and drummer of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, respectively. During a 1986 trip to England's Southern Studios to discuss possible European distribution of Dischord releases with owner John Loder, the three decided to make a record together, and the project was dubbed "Egg Hunt" for festive reasons (it was Easter time). John took a seat in the producer's chair, while Ian and Jeff handled all the instruments.

Egg Hunt's only release, a self-titled 7", was, according to reviewer Ron DePasquale, an example of "experimental, post-hardcore" music. The song "We All Fall Down," appearing on the second side, was a song that Ian had originally written for his earlier band, Embrace, but it was discarded by that band. Although seemingly a small release in comparison to Dischord's significant catalog, this record is still a notable example of MacKaye and Nelson's songwriting abilities, as well as their chemistry together as artists.

The single record "Me and You", also known as Egg Hunt and 2 Songs, is the first and only stand-alone release by the American experimental post-hardcore duoEgg Hunt.

Overview

Egg Hunt's only output, a piece of "experimental, post-hardcore" music, is notable for its flip side, "We All Fall Down", a "post-punk melodic masterpiece", originally written by Ian MacKaye for his earlier band, Embrace, which discarded the song. Although seemingly a small release in comparison to Dischord's significant catalog, this record is still a notable sample of MacKaye and Jeff Nelson's songwriting abilities, as well as their chemistry together as artists.

Background

Egg Hunt

Egg Hunt was a one-off musical experiment of long time friends and musicians Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, former singer and drummer, respectively, of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, and Dischord Records co-founders. During a 1986 trip to London to discuss possible European distribution of Dischord releases with Southern Studios, its owner, John Loder, invited them to do, just for fun, some recording while they were there. They recorded four songs in three days, and they liked the results so much that they decided to release a two-song single to commemorate the occasion. They dubbed it "Egg Hunt", since they recorded it over Easter weekend.