Easter Sunday Egg Hunt at St. John’s Episcopal Church set for April 20
Join the hunt for Easter eggs on Sunday, April 20 at 1 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 7771 Stringfellow Road, St. James City, co-sponsored by the VFW and the Rotary Club.
All children, teenagers and adults are welcome. Receive prizes and participate in raffles to win door prizes. Enjoy free hot dogs, popcorn and beverages.
So, how did a Christian holiday get scrambled up with colored eggs?
The egg itself is thought to be an ancient symbol of new life And in the Christian religion a symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus from the tomb.
The early church prohibited the eating of eggs during Holy Week, but chickens continued to lay eggs during that week. So folks painted them in bright colors to specially identify those as Holy Week eggs to eat on Easter Sunday.
Let the hunt begin!
Some suggest that the Easter egg hunt tradition dates back to the 16th century, when Martin Luther organized egg hunts for his congregation, with men hiding eggs for women and children to find. In the U.S., the first official White House Easter egg roll and hunt occurred in 1878.
And what’s “hop” with the Easter bunny?
The most prominent secular symbol of Easter, the Easter bunny symbolizes fertility, new life, and the rebirth of spring. The Easter bunny was reportedly introduced to America by German immigrants who brought over their stories of an egg-laying hare. Another story tells of the Easter bunny laying brightly colored eggs for well-behaved children to find on the morning of Easter Sunday. Some children would prepare nests in the garden for eggs to be left in, and even leave out carrots to refuel the Easter bunny after all its hopping.
Also join us at St. John’s for the following Easter Holy Week Services.
• Thursday, April 17, 5 p.m. Seder dinner
• Thursday, April 17, 7 p.m. Foot-washing Service
• Friday, April 18, noon Good Friday Service
• Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m. Easter Vigil Service
• Sunday, April 20, 10 a.m. Easter Service and Flowering of the Cross
At St. John’s Episcopal Church, our purpose is to LOVE GOD, FOLLOW CHRIST and SERVE OTHERS. We welcome all to our services on Sundays at 10 a.m. with a coffee fellowship hour immediately following.
For additional information about the church and its services and programs, please visit our website at www.StJohnspineisland.com, or call 239-273-1930.