24 EASTER. 
Eggs were long regarded as the transition 
food at the beginning and end of Lent. 
« And hence the egg feast formerly at Oxford 
when the scholars took leave of that kind of 
food on the Saturday after Ash Wednesday.” 
Brand’s Antiquities. 
“By the common people too, the preceding 
Saturday (before the first Sunday in Lent) in 
Oxfordshire particularly is called Egg Satur- 
day.” 
Hampson Medi Aevi Kalendrier. 
It is supposed that the custom of decorating 
egos at Easter arose among Catholics from joy 
at returning to their favorite food. 
According to an old tradition, the bells went 
to Rome to be blessed at Easter time, and the 
egos were dyed scarlet like the cardinal’s cloak, 
to show that the bells had brought them back 
from Rome. Angels, too, were believed to 
descend with baskets of eggs for the faithful, . 
and sometimes an evil egg found its way with 
the others with dire results. 
