The following email written by an American in Wisconsin is from ENG-BLACK-COUNTRY-L@rootsweb.com and well explains the traditional PACE EGG story my aunts and grandmother used to tell me, when I was young. GPace Ontario Can The April edition of the English magazine, "The Countryman" was delivered earlier this week and in an article "The evolution of the humble Easter Egg" by Christine Bloxham she explains. In her final paragraph, and I quote, "The introduction of chocolate Easter eggs and decrease in Church going has led to a decline in decoration of Easter eggs." The modern chocolate eggs are a invention, most probably by Mr. Cadbury, but based on the age old tradition of decorating eggs by various means ranging from the elaborate from Eastern Europe to the simply colouring of eggs. The North of England had their "Pace (or paschal) Eggs" with a saying counting down the days to Pace-egg day " Tid, mid, miseray. Carlin, Palm and Pace egg day." Pace eggs were "eggs stained with various colours in boiling and sometimes covered with gold leaf". Eggs were rolled down a hill and after they were found they were "jarped" together which was a game similar to conkers but the egg held in the hand. After this game the eggs were eaten. Pace eggs could also be decorated with scraps of coloured fabric. In Slovenia and Romania red eggs were known as love apples. Eggs were sent by girls, on Good Friday for a blessing by the Priest, dyed red on Saturday and given to the fancied boy on Easter Sunday with the belief the love would be fulfilled. In medieval days, the days of Lent and the abstaining from certain foods meant that for six weeks eggs were not eaten, allowing a breeding period for the poultry. At Easter, at the end of Lent, eggs could once again be eaten so the link with eggs and Easter was established. Eggs have been used to symbolize other events such as rolling of eggs being the stone rolling away from the tomb of Jesus. Of decorated eggs being given to women who wanted to begin a pregnancy. To egg rolling races being used to identify which young maiden would become the next to be married. Here in the mid-west of the US many churches hold colored egg searches where the children search for hidden eggs. We will be having our grandchildren over on Sunday and they too will search the house or the garden , depending on the weather, for the hidden colored eggs. Although we were brought up in the English chocolate egg tradition we find the search and find traditional activity far more to our liking and non-candy gifts better for the recipients. Many were the customs and many the countries in which eggs were usedin celebrations. The article in "The Countryman" by Christine Bloxham describes many others egg traditions, typical of the excellence of the magazine in which the present and past English countryside is featured. I have no connection with the magazine except by my subscription. John Favill, Wisconsin, USA