Easter thanks to a farmer

Easter season is upon us and whether you’re celebrating with resurrection rolls or jelly beans, glazed ham or a lamb chop, it comes to you by way of your favorite farmers and ranchers.  As you say grace before diving into the deviled eggs or scalloped potatoes, be sure to give a little thanks to the industry that helps you live the traditions of the season.

They may be worth a fortune to have as part of the traditional celebration, but eggs have been a part of Easter for centuries.  Early Christians believed that the empty egg shell represented the empty tomb, making it an important symbol of the resurrection.  

During Lent, eating eggs was prohibited and the 40 days fast ended with a variety of egg dishes.  Giving decorated eggs as a Good Friday offering became popular.  In 1290, Edward I purchased 450 eggs to be decorated with colors or gold leaf and then distributed to his household.

Martin Luther was credited with the origin of the Easter egg hunt.  In the late 16th century, the men would hide eggs for the women and children to search for, representing the women that had found the empty tomb Easter morning.

The White House traditionally celebrates Easter with the annual Egg Roll, decorating eggs and other games.  30,000 eggs will be donated from farmers around the country in support of the celebration.

Easter is often marked with a set of fresh duds, rooted in the symbol of resurrection and renewal.  Cotton, wool, or flax fibers make up a myriad of beautiful fabrics that are carefully crafted into new dresses, shirts, and ties on display
Easter morning.   

Marshmallow peeps, chocolate covered marshmallow eggs, even the marshmallows of the empty tomb rolls are only made possible by cows.  It’s true.  The crucial marshmallow ingredient gelatin is a beef by-product from bones, hooves, skin and cartilage.  But it’s not just the marshmallows that get their gelatin from cattle.  Jelly beans, Easter candy corn, and every kind of gummy candy all made thanks to the beef industry.

Speaking of candy, those favorite Reeses Easter eggs wouldn’t be the sweet treat they are without peanut farmers.  Cadbury Mini Eggs have a smooth milk chocolate center only made possible by dairy farmers, encased in a sugary shell that first started as sugar beets in the field.  Whopper Robin Eggs are full of sugar, but without a little from the wheat and barley industry, the classic malted milk center just wouldn’t be what it is.  

The classic Easter dinner has many different looks, rooted in a variety of traditions.  Whether it is a lamb shop celebrating the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, or a cured ham in celebration of the end of Lent, the beginnings of that meaningful meal always started at the hand of a farmer.  Every savory side dish and sweet dessert bringing families together, linking generations, and rejoicing in the renewal of life was carefully planted, tended, and harvested to by a farmer.

As you gather in celebration, surrounded by the symbols of the season pointing to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, take a moment to also thank the farmers and ranchers that give the beginnings to your festivities.