How long have chocolate Easter eggs existed? Or maybe I should ask, when did they become common? I have a hunch they haven't existed long enough for any long-standing traditions to be associated with them. Whatever people do with chocolate eggs nowadays was probably formerly done with real eggs.

Speaking of which, I get the impression (not backed up by any serious study) that the use of real eggs at Easter is disappearing, and being replaced by chocolate and other candy eggs. At least I know some families don't bother with them. It's so much easier to buy the candy kind.

When I was a kid, we used to boil and dye a dozen or more eggs every Easter, and then eat them for a week or so afterwards. I think when I was very young, we didn't have candy eggs at all.

I grew up in St. Louis, MO, if anyone cares, in the 1950's.