Ledbetter, Willie =Easter Red Egg Wishes!!!!

 My Papa Willie Ledbetter .... I remember he was a man of few words. But when Papa did speak folks seemed to listen and he always had something important to say. He worked at Alcoa but also farmed some. I remember I use to follow on his heels to the barn and to the chicken coops as a child. I would just walk in his footsteps and marvel at his strong hands caring for the animals and crops. He would always let me pick out a critter to call my own. I usually picked the runt, and he would laugh as the little runt soon grew to be the strongest. Anyway, back to the meaning of this story. With Easter drawing near. I remember my Papa and the red egg....

Early early each Easter morning Papa Willie would come onto his porch and yell "Get you a red egg." We lived up the hill and I could hear him screaming about the red egg as I imagined he was probably on the porch putting his boots on. Granny Hazel always had some dyed eggs on the table for Easter Sunday dinner. I can still see Papa twirling the basket around until he found a red one. He would hold the red egg in his hand and marvel at it. As visitors came throughout the day, he would be sure and ask if they had their red egg yet. Many times, I have asked Papa about this tradition of the red egg on Easter morning. He told me that on the creek each Easter shouts would be heard all around to get you a red egg. I asked why and he simply said that it meant Easter and Spring.

Today I was thinking about this red egg and wondered about the tradition and what it could possibly mean. So, to Google I typed red egg and WOW!!!! Papa was so right the red egg does so represent the true meaning of Easter and the welcoming of Spring. The egg is seen as symbolic of the grave and life renewed or resurrected by breaking out of it. The red supposedly symbolizes the blood of Christ redeeming the world and human redemption through the bloodshed in the sacrifice of the crucifixion. The egg itself is a symbol of resurrection: while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it. the Easter egg is much more than a celebration of the ending of the fast, it is a declaration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Traditionally, Easter eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Christ, shed on the Cross, and the hard shell of the egg symbolized the sealed Tomb of Christ—the cracking of which symbolized his resurrection from the dead.

I think I will dye all my eggs red this year. As Papa Willie taught "Get you a red egg!" Happy Easter wishes to all!