Here's some interesting Easter facts you may not have known already
20 March 2016
| Last updated on 18 October 2017
Easter is known to be the Sunday that marks the end of the Holy Week in Christianity, and is greatly influenced by the Christian faith. Although for some people, it's a time to celebrate with Easter eggs, bunnies and lots of chocolate and decorated eggs.
So in honour of the day, here's some random, funny and interesting facts about the day you may not have known already...
1. The tallest Easter egg chocolate was made in Italy in 2011. It stood at 10.39 meters and weighe 7,200 kg. That's taller than a giraffe and heavier than an elephant!
2. The UK's first chocolate egg was produced in 1873 by Fry's of Bristol.
3. The art of painting eggs is called pysanka, which originated from Ukraine. It involves using wax and dyes to colour the egg.
SEE ALSO: The meaning and history of Easter
4. In Germany, they light an Easter bonfire to welcome the sun and the spring.
5. The term Easter derives from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolises the hare and the egg.
6. The White House in the United States of America have a tradition of the Easter Egg Roll, which started in 1878 with President Rutherford B. Hayes.
7. Workers in Birmingham in the United Kingdom, who make the famous Cadbury Creme Egg, produce more than 1.5 million egg delights a year.
8. The exchange or giving of Easter eggs actually dates back to before Easter, and the giving of eggs is actually considered a symbol of rebirth in many countries.
9. Easter is the oldest Christian holiday.
10. The white lily, the symbol of the resurrection, is the special Easter flower.
11. Americans buy more than 700 million marshmallow peeps over the Easter holiday.
SEE ALSO: A guide to the best Easter games
12. 76% of people eat the ears on chocolate bunnies first.
13. After Halloween, Easter is the largest sweet-consuming holiday.
14. Egg dyes were once made out of natural items, such as onion peels, tree bark, flower petals and juices.
15. The first story of a rabbit, later nicknamed the Easter Bunny, hiding eggs in a garden was first published in 1680.
