Complete the following passage.

In Medieval Europe, eggs ………………….. (forbade / were forbidden / had been forbidden) during Lent. Eggs ………………. (lied / laid / lain) during that time were often boiled or otherwise preserved. Eggs ……………….. (were / have / are) thus a mainstay of Easter meals, and a prized Easter gift for children and servants. The coloring of eggs is an established art, and eggs are often dyed, …………………. (paint / painted / painting), and otherwise decorated. Eggs were also used in various holiday games: parents ……………………. (hid / would hide / will hide) eggs for children to find, and children would roll eggs down hills. The most famous egg roll …………………… (takes / took / taken) place on the White House lawn every year.

Hares and rabbits ………………….. (have / are / were) long been symbols of fertility. The inclusion of the hare into Easter customs ……………….. (appear / appears / appeared) to have originated in Germany, where tales ………………. (told / were told / are told) of an “Easter hare” who laid eggs for children to find.

Solution

In Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent. Eggs laid during that time were often boiled or otherwise preserved. Eggs were thus a mainstay of Easter meals, and a prized Easter gift for children and servants. The coloring of eggs is an established art, and eggs are often dyed, painted, and otherwise decorated. Eggs were also used in various holiday games: parents would hide eggs for children to find, and children would roll eggs down hills. The most famous egg roll takes place on the White House lawn every year.

Hares and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility. The inclusion of the hare into Easter customs appears to have originated in Germany, where tales were told of an “Easter hare” who laid eggs for children to find.