They said the egg had special powers. 

Old Polish legends blended folklore and Christian beliefs and firmly attached the egg to the Easter celebration. One legend concerns the Virgin Mary. It tells of the time Mary gave eggs to the soldiers at the cross. She entreated them to be less cruel and she wept. The tears of Mary fell upon the eggs, spotting them with dots of brilliant color.     

Decorating and coloring eggs for Easter was the custom in England during the middle ages. 

The most famous decorated Easter eggs were made by the goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge.     

The first  egg was an egg within an egg. It had an outside shell of platinum and enameled white which opened to reveal a smaller gold egg. The smaller egg, in turn, opened to display a golden chicken and a jeweled replica of the Imperial crown.

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By Hannah Bishop