Great egg-spectations: Have we put too many Easter eggs in one basket?
What does a chocolate egg have to do with ghouls and goblins anyway?
It's like finding out Santa moonlights as a leprechaun for St. Patrick's Day.
Has the introduction of a chocolate 'Screme' egg to celebrate Hallowe'en robbed the original Cadbury's Easter Creme Egg of its magic? Is no admittedly non-sacred part of a sacred holiday ... sacred?
It may not compare to the possibility of nuclear war between North Korea and the United States for impact but for lovers of candy eggs — and this is the moment where a reporter normally declares a conflict of interest — a phenomenon best described as 'Easter creep' is definitely worthy of reflection.
"On a broader scale, I think it has to do with our desire to have access to everything at every moment in time," says Irina Mihilache, a University of Toronto assistant professor who specializes in the intersection of museum, food and communications.
She admits that she doesn't normally spend a lot of time thinking about chocolate eggs. Normally. More on that in a moment.
"It is the same type of logic that applies to having access to foods that were maybe special in a specific cultural context."
'Those long, eggless days'
According to Cadbury's, John Cadbury made his first chocolate Easter egg in 1875. Eighteen years later, his company was marketing 19 different types — a foreshadowing perhaps of the explosive power of marketing.
The Creme Egg in its current form was introduced in 1963. It now has its own Wikipedia page, which lists dozens of varieties, including Mini, Berry, Dream, Mad About Chocolate, Peppermint and Splats.
With the exception of the Holiday Ornament Creme Egg, the Screme Egg — launched in 2011 — appears to be the only member of the family to venture outside the Easter zone.
Technically, the Screme Egg — which has green fondant at its centre, as opposed to yellow — is supposed to be different from the Creme Egg. The scariest thing about it may be the 20 grams of sugar it contains.
It was presumably in that spirit that a Cadbury's spokesman told the BBC four years ago that the company had considered selling the original Creme Egg year round, but decided not to.
"There's something special about the Creme Egg season," he said.
"We long for it in those long, eggless days of summer and autumn."
'An egg is an egg for Easter'
But when exactly are those 'long, eggless days'?
Reese's and Kinder both sell their own versions of a soft-centred egg. And at the very least, Kinder can be found year round.
Helen Forler is what you might consider an expert on what it takes to make an Easter Egg special.
The Elmvale, Ont. woman owns a 94-year-old chocolate egg. That's three years older than she is. A family friend bought the hollow, decorated egg to celebrate her older brother's birth. He died before Forler was born.
"You open it and get close to it, and you can still smell the chocolate," she says.
Granddaughter Jessie Saunderson says she grew up steeped in the lore of the egg.
"She'd bring it out and we'd all get out to see it and get our hands smacked if we touched it," Saunderson says. "It was part of our Easter — to see the egg."
Forler is a fan of the Cadbury's Creme Egg. But she has no time for the Screme Egg.
"An egg is an egg for Easter," she says. "And I don't think it needs to be anything else."
Sadly, though, traditions have a way of passing. Forler says she's not sure what to do with her ancient egg after she's gone.
None of her kids have any room, and even the local museum didn't want it. She's open to offers.
Moral responsibility and the Creme Egg?
Mihilache — the food expert — says the battle to make an egg, or a mandarin, or a cup of eggnog seasonal pits a consumer's ability to resist temptation against a company's inability to resist the.chance to make money
Just because they're for sale, and you like them, doesn't mean you have to give in.
Originally from Romania, Mihilache admits a weakness for Kinder eggs. They were very popular after the fall of Communism, and so she associates them with that tumultuous period of history.
"For me, they are more like a treat that I can eat at any time, if I find it," she says.
An excuse?
"It feels that way," she says. "I didn't think I needed one."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
