US cities readying to host Easter egg hunts

The egg hunts, which are a time-honored tradition, are expected to be big affairs, entertaining both children and adults.

Planned Easter egg hunts
Many regions have already planned Easter egg hunts, scheduled to be hosted in the next few days.

The Kennewick Senior Center has planned Easter Egg-Stravaganza for March 31. The event will be hosted at Keewaydin Park in downtown Kennewick.

In Brooklyn, New York city, an egg hunt at Pierrepont Playground is scheduled for Saturday, April 3.

The City of Chanhassen, Minnesota, will also be organizing Easter Egg Candy Hunt on the same day at Chanhassen Recreation Center.

The African-American Family Celebration, at the National Zoo in Washigton DC, scheduled for April 5, will be a big event. The celebration dates back to 1889, when the Zoo first opened.

In California, cities like Berkeley, Capitola, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Norco, and Pismo Beach, among others will be holding the event on April 3.

In the City of Moopark, southern California, the hunt is planned for April 4.

The largest hunts to be hosted
Almost every community organizes an Easter egg hunt, where families come together and hide eggs for children to find. These events are small and limited to a particular area or community.

But children can participate in some of the biggest egg hunts organized in the nation every year.

For instance, the White House will be hosting an Easter Egg Roll on April 5. With the theme, ‘Ready, Set, Go!’ the White House is focusing on promoting health and wellness.

The tradition, which was begun by President Rutherford Hayes in 1878, is celebrated even till today. Since all the children cannot participate in the hunt, the lucky 30,000 children, determined by a lottery system, get the opportunity to hunt eggs on The White House lawn.

The African-American Family Celebration, at the National Zoo in Washigton DC, scheduled for April 5, is also a big event. The celebration dates back to 1889, when the Zoo first opened.

The other big hunt is the Garrison Egg Hunt in Homer, organized by the Garrison family in Georgia, for more than 50 years now. It is one of the largest hunts, with at least 72,000 real eggs.

Miami Seaquarium Easter Egg Hunt is also expected to be a big event, running for three days, starting for April 2.

Even the egg hunt at Baltimore Estate, Asheville, Calif., is a big affair where kids in the age group two to nine years hunt for thousands of eggs. The event is scheduled for April 4.

Understanding the significance
The egg has been seen as the symbol of rebirth. This was eventually adopted by the Christians, who see egg as the symbol of the resurrection of Jesus.

In the ancient time the Zoroastrians painted the eggs to mark their New Year celebration, which fell on March equinox.

In old times, people used to paint or dye chicken eggs. But now this has been replaced by chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with sweets, jelly beans etc.

The eggs are hidden by the Easter Bunny for the children to find.