Is the egg or the dove born first?

The answer is there and it is a certainty: the tradition of the egg, colored and decorated at Easter, was born first, since ancient times

The egg, as a symbol of rebirth, has ancient roots, first pagan and then Christian, while the tradition of the chocolate egg dates back to the eighteenth century. It is said to have been commissioned by Louis XIV at the beginning of the 18th century. The Easter dove, on the other hand, as a commercial sweet, is a much more recent Italian invention, dating back to the 1930s. It was created by the Motta company in Milan to utilize the same machinery as for panettone.

In all cultures and religions, the egg has always held a symbolic value related to life and rebirth. Christianity has merely reinterpreted these traditions. The egg has become the symbol that represents the miracle of the Resurrection.

The Easter Dove

The dove is a traditional Italian sweet bread, made with a dough similar to panettone and shaped like a dove with open wings.

Dove-shaped sweets already existed in ancient times, and the first legend of the Dove dates back to the Lombard period. It is said that on the eve of Easter 572, King Alboin managed to enter Pavia after a very long siege. Fearing his retaliation against the people, the citizens of Pavia presented the king with a dove-shaped sweet as a symbol of peace on Easter day. This gesture of reconciliation, according to the legend, was so appreciated by the king that he spared the city from looting.