Why do we eat chocolates at Easter?
As if anyone needs an extra reason to eat chocolate, along comes Easter. But do you know why we give and receive chocolate eggs and bunnies? Read on to find out why, and some other ways you can make your Easter even more chocolatey – recipes included!
The year is flying by and we only have four weeks until Easter, which falls on Sunday 5 April.
Our Easter and Autumn Magazine will out in our stores and available online, from Monday 16 March. It’s brimming with ideas and inspiration about what to cook and serve during this four-day celebration.
We’re lucky in Tasmania that Easter occurs in Autumn, which means that some of our favourite things are in season: apples and pears, pumpkin and figs – which all lend themselves to cosy, warming dishes as the weather cools down.
Easter, like Christmas, comes with its own set of traditions of what to serve and when. In the lead up to Easter we’ll look at some of these, starting with everybody’s favourite – chocolate!
Chocolate Eggs
Traditionally, the lead-up to Easter is marked by a 40-day period of abstinence, Lent, during which all animal products including meat, eggs, butter and milk, are not allowed. For the devout, Good Friday and Easter Saturday are days of mourning during which no celebrations other than church services are held.
In contrast, Easter Sunday, the day Christians believe Jesus Christ was resurrected, is a day of celebration when Lent is officially over and we feast on all the things we’ve given up, chocolate being one of these.
Autumn & Easter Food Magazine is out 16 March 2026
But why do we eat chocolate eggs at Easter?
Symbols of rebirth and renewal, eggs featured in the springtime pagan celebration of Eostre. Other symbols of northern hemisphere spring are, of course, rabbits and chicks, signifying new life and renewal. In Christian times Eostre was replaced by Easter, where eggs and other symbols of renewal and new life came to be associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Chocolate-making techniques of the 19th century enabled the production of chocolate eggs and rabbit-shaped chocolates, which became very fashionable to give as gifts, and made chocolate as an essential part of Easter celebrations around the world.
And how better to finish an Easter Sunday feast than with a dessert featuring – you guessed it – chocolate! This Baked Chocolate Cheesecake is a double-choc delight with a chocolate base topped with a rich, creamy, chocolate cheesecake filing. And this rich Chocolate Easter Tart will definitely demand second helpings. For more chocolatey desserts perfect for Easter, pick up a copy of our Easter and Autum Magazine from our stores or online from Monday 16 March.
We have plenty of Easter eggs in stock in all stores, from exquisite hand-made Tasmanian eggs from Lakker and Anvers to big Cadbury bunnies, so drop in to your nearest Hill Street store and stock up for your Easter Sunday morning egg hunt before they sell out. Keep an eye on our specials in our Weekly Catalogue for Easter savings too.
