Easter Candy and Traditions: The Significance of Colors and Treats

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Easter, also known as Resurrection Sunday, is fast approaching, and for most American children, the prospect of enjoying colorful Easter candy is usually part of the celebration. Whether presented in brightly decorated baskets or hidden around the yard, Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, Peeps, jellybeans and other sugary delights appeal to kids of all ages.

Part of the fun of Easter is decorating hard-boiled eggs. Because eggs were originally part of the forbidden meat and dairy products during the 40 days of Lent, they were always joyously welcomed back to the table on Easter Sunday. Pastel colors differentiated this holiday from Christmas and celebrated the arrival of the soft hues of spring. Today, however, all colors are welcome as long as some traditional decorations are included. Each Easter color has significance in keeping with the religious traditions behind the celebration:

• Red is the color of the blood of Christ and represents His ultimate sacrifice for the sake of mankind. A red egg was traditionally offered to friends when greeting them on Easter morning. The egg represents the grave, the prison of the tomb and the renewing or resurrecting of life by breaking free of it.
• Red-Violet is also a reflection of pain and suffering.
• White has always represented purity and grace in the Christian tradition.
• Purple is a reminder of wealth and royalty.
• Yellow is a reflection of happiness in the presence of the sun's brightness.
• Green, as a spring color, reminds us of the hope of new life and the future.
• Orange also represents hope through the bright colors of sunrise each day.
• Pink is symbolic of fresh beginnings.
• Rose reflects joyous celebration and jubilation.
Gold speaks of those things that are precious and valuable Silver represents brightness and purity. Gray reminds of the ashes associated with mourning, repentance, fasting and prayer.

After the long, sober days of fasting for Lent, the bright colors of Easter candy are a welcome relief and change. This year, more than 10 million PAAS egg-decorating kits will be sold to decorate 180 million Easter eggs. PAAS has been selling their kits for 130 years. Nine different dyes and Magic Crayons offer limitless possibilities for very simple or intricate egg-dyeing. In addition to solid colors, children will paint their eggs with glow-in-the-dark colors, marbled or tie-dye effects, and neon shades. Glitter pens can add delicate detail. Melted crayon shavings also create dramatic effects.

It may well be that the traditional bright yellow Peeps are the modern-day "candy of Easter." More than a billion of these squishy marshmallow treats will be sold this year alone. Owned by a company in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Peeps are celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2013. However, in addition to those little yellow chicks, shoppers can choose chocolate-dipped and multicolored versions. Peepsters are smaller chocolate candies that have been filled with marshmallow-flavored cream.

What would Easter be without the deep rich chocolate brown of an edible Easter bunny? Adults and children alike enjoy nibbling these delectable sweets. Jellybeans in every color and flavor imaginable are also standard candy treats. While this holiday may be riddled with danger for dieters, for the rest of us, Easter is the perfect time to celebrate the risen Savior and the return of spring. It is also a good excuse to indulge a sweet tooth.