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Why Easter eggs are painted and Easter cakes are baked: history and traditions of celebration. Why eggs are painted for Easter: the story of a wonderful custom

It is customary to paint for Easter eggs different colors, but among the multi-colored eggs, the central place belongs to bright red eggs. Why?

History has preserved such a tradition for us. According to one of the most popular versions, which many Christians adhere to, it is believed that it was Mary Magdalene who laid the foundation for this tradition.

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his disciples and followers dispersed to different countries, everywhere proclaiming the good news that you no longer need to be afraid of death. Christ, the Savior of the world, defeated her. He resurrected Himself and will resurrect everyone who believes Him and will love people as much as He loved.

Mary Magdalene dared to come with this news to the Roman emperor Tiberius himself.

According to the law, if an indigent person fell into an audience with Caesar, he had to donate at least an egg. So she brought an ordinary egg and with the story of Christ handed the egg to the emperor, who laughed and answered her in the spirit that just as this egg cannot turn red, so the deceased cannot be resurrected. And right there, before his eyes, the egg began to fill with blood and became dark red ... Since then, on the day of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, we have given each other eggs painted in red with the words: "Christ is Risen!" and we hear in response from the recipient of the gift: "Truly He is Risen!"

The egg has always been a symbol of life: in a strong shell is life hidden from the eyes, which at its hour will break out of the lime captivity in the form of a small yellow chicken.

Speaking about this legend, it is worth noting that there are no records in any Christian source that describe this event, therefore this version is not considered official, but many believers love this beautiful story very much. In their opinion, it is she who explains why do they paint eggs for Easter.

According to another, less magical version, Mary Magdalene simply brought an ordinary egg as a gift to the emperor. It turned out to betray the present look by painting it in red, she also wrote two letters on it, which symbolized the beginning of the expression "Christ is Risen". This is how the first Easter egg appeared.

Another legend explains the tradition coloring eggs on Easter by the fact that the Virgin Mary, entertaining the baby Christ, also painted eggs. And we do this, remembering that Easter is rebirth, new life and bright, pure joy.

There is a legend that says that after the execution of Christ, the Jews gathered for a meal consisting of fried chicken and boiled eggs. The diners mentioned that in three days Jesus Christ will be resurrected, to which the owner of the house objected: "This will happen only after the fried chicken comes to life and the eggs turn red." And at that very moment, the chicken came to life, and the eggs changed color.

According to this legend dyeing eggs is a symbol of people's faith in the miracle of the resurrection of Christ, a symbol of overcoming doubts, in memory of the Day of Resurrection. It is also believed that the red color of the egg symbolizes the color of the blood of Christ, who gave his life to save people.

Scientists also have their own version of the origin of the tradition of painting eggs among Christians. Why paint eggs for Easter? In their opinion, they adopted this tradition from early cults, this is not surprising, because we know many holidays that were originally pagan, and then became Christian.

Indeed, the custom of dyeing eggs found in many pre-Christian beliefs, including the Slavs. Let's try to figure out why, or rather, how they could have this tradition. We already know that the ancient pagans had an egg as a symbol of fertility, and in the spring, when people celebrated the awakening of nature from sleep and the beginning of a new agricultural season, they decorated eggs in every possible way in order to get a good harvest in the coming year.

With the advent of Christianity, these customs were mixed and in addition to the many rituals that are held on Easter, people also began to paint eggs.

Some scholars even believe that the legend of the Magdalene appeared to justify the Christian church, which began to observe pagan rites. And even now, some clergy with radical views are very negative about this custom and cannot understand why they should paint eggs for Easter. Some of them even try to prohibit this tradition among their parishioners, they say: "Observance of pagan rituals for a Christian is a great sin!" -, but this tradition has long become a part of the Christian religion and believers rarely take such statements seriously.

Also, some of the scientists believe that Easter tradition of painting eggs has no religious ground at all, and explain the emergence of this tradition as follows. The fact is that during a big fast, people ate a lot of eggs and so that they would not spoil for a long time, they had to be boiled, but painted in order to somehow distinguish boiled eggs from raw ones.

Researchers of Easter eggs note that Easter eggs reflect archaic ideas of the Slavs about the universe, and, most likely, Easter eggs existed among the Slavs before the adoption of Christianity. In early church documents, in particular the Poznan Sinoiadal charter of Andrei Laskarzh, who denounced the pagan remnants of the Slavs, it is considered a mortal sin in Easter time to "... hand over eggs and other gifts ...".

After all, an egg is not only a symbol of life, fertility and the spring rebirth of nature. Long before Christ, the egg was considered the prototype of the Universe itself. The very shape of the egg - the oval - symbolized a miracle among the Greeks.

The custom of painting eggs is also associated with the name of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. It is believed that on the day he was born, one of his mother's chickens laid an egg marked with red dots. This was interpreted as a sign that the future emperor was born. Over time, it became customary for the Romans to send painted eggs to each other as a congratulation.

But why exactly the egg became one of the proofs of the Resurrection of the Son of God?

In ancient times the egg was given a magical meaning. In graves, barrows, ancient burials dating back to the pre-Christian era, eggs are found, both natural and made of various materials (marble, clay, etc.). During excavations in Etruscan tombs, carved and natural ostrich, chicken eggs, sometimes even painted, were found. All mythologies of the world keep the legends associated with the egg as a symbol of life, renewal, as the source of the origin of everything that exists in this world.

For instance, even the ancient Egyptians every spring, along with the flood of the Nile, they exchanged painted eggs, hung them in their sanctuaries and temples. In Egyptian mythology, the egg represents the potential for life and immortality - the seed of being and its mystery.

The egg - a universal symbol of the creation of the world and creation - is also mentioned in Indian "Vedas"(the golden egg from which Brahma hatched). In India, all birds that lay eggs are called "twice born", since hatching from an egg means a second birth.

In the east it was believed that there was a time when chaos reigned everywhere, and this chaos was in a huge egg, in which all forms of life were hidden. Fire warmed the shell, giving the egg the warmth of creation. Thanks to this divine fire, a mythical creature, Panu, emerged from the egg. Everything weightless became Heaven, and everything dense became earth. Panu connected Heaven to Earth, created wind, space, clouds, thunder, lightning. To heat the emerging earth, Panu gave it the Sun, and to remind about the cold - the Moon. Thanks to Pan, the Sun warmed the earth, the Moon shone, planets and stars were born.

Since antiquity the egg served as a symbol of the spring sun, bringing with it life, joy, warmth, light, the rebirth of nature, getting rid of the shackles of frost and snow - in other words, the transition from nonexistence to being. Once it was customary to offer an egg as a simple small gift to pagan gods, to give eggs to friends and benefactors on the first day of the New Year and on their birthday. Rich, wealthy people often offered gold or gilded eggs, symbolizing the sun, instead of dyed chicken eggs. The ancient Romans had a custom to eat a baked egg at the beginning of a festive meal - this was symbolically associated with the successful start of a new business. Interestingly, the Russian landowners of the 18th century also began the day with a soft-boiled egg - it was believed that liquid yolk for breakfast promotes good absorption of the rest of the food during the day, “lubricates” the stomach.

For our ancestors the egg served as a symbol of life. It contains the embryo of the sun bird - the Rooster, who woke up the morning.

Piero della Francesca at the altar of Monte Feltro(Milan, Brera, XV century) above the Madonna and Child depicted an ostrich egg. Here it serves as an additional attribute of the legend of the miraculous birth of the God-man Jesus and indicates a world that rests on the Christian faith. The Byzantine theologian and philosopher John Damascene emphasized that heaven and earth are like an egg in everything: the shell is the sky, the hymen is the clouds, the white is water, and the yolk is the earth. Life arises from the dead matter of the egg; it contains opportunity, idea, movement and development. According to legend, even the dead, the egg gives the strength of life, with the help of the egg they feel the spirit of life and gain lost strength. There is a primordial belief that thanks to the miraculous power of the egg, you can come into contact with the dead, and they seem to come to life for a while. If you put a painted egg on the grave - the first one received for Easter - the deceased will hear everything that is said to him, that is, as if he will return to life and to that which pleases or saddens the living.

Orthodox symbolism Easter eggs are rooted in the thousand-year traditions of the religions of many peoples of the world. At the same time, in Orthodoxy, it receives a significant semantic addition: the egg in it, first of all, is a symbol of bodily re-creation in Christ, a symbol of the jubilant joy of the Resurrection from the dead, the victory of Life over death. Russian folk legends tell that at the moment of the Resurrection of Christ the stones on Calvary turned into red eggs. The Orthodox symbolism of the egg has its roots in the pre-Christian beliefs of the Slavs, which have been characterized by the cult of ancestors since ancient times, the veneration of the immortal souls of the dead, who were considered sacred persons.

The first written testimony of colored eggs for Holy Easter we find it in a tenth century parchment manuscript from the library of the monastery of St. Anastasia, not far from Thessaloniki in Greece. At the end of the church charter given in the manuscript, after prayers on Easter, a prayer for the blessing of eggs and cheese was also to be read, and the abbot, kissing the brethren, had to hand out eggs to them with the words: "Christ is Risen!" According to the manuscript "Nomokanon Photius" (XIII century), the abbot can punish the monk who does not eat a red egg on Easter, because he opposes the apostolic traditions. Thus, the custom of giving eggs on Easter dates back to apostolic times, when Mary Magdalene was the first to give believers an example of this joyful gift-giving.

As you can see, there are many scientific assumptions and invented legends, each of which does not have a "firm" conclusion, therefore it is impossible to say unequivocally ,


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Wherever you go for the Easter holidays, you will find your symbols and traditions everywhere. But in all Christian countries of the world, without exception, they paint eggs. Moreover, red prevails among the staining options.

What is the reason for such a persistent symbolic tradition? Why is it customary to paint eggs red on Easter? It is interesting that there are many legends around this fact and there are even more myths, so finding out why eggs are painted and answering the question in monosyllables is quite problematic.

Nevertheless, this tradition has taken root among many peoples, and many housewives do not even ask this question when they begin to create their Easter masterpieces. On the Zatusim resource, we have collected the most common and beautiful legends associated with dyeing eggs.

It turns out that the tradition of dyeing eggs red has rather banal household roots.

On the eve of Easter, Christians always tried to observe fasting, which lasted one and a half months. One of the food prohibitions during fasting applies to the consumption of chicken eggs as animal products.

All this time, the chickens, which were kept in each household, continued to lay. Moreover, in connection with the arrival of spring, the number of laid eggs increased.

It was wasteful to simply throw away such products or give them to animals.

Therefore, the homely peasants found a way to preserve them. The method is very simple - just boil it.

But why, then, were such eggs exactly red? And here everything is very simple. To distinguish already boiled eggs from raw ones.

There were always available food colors at hand, such as onion peels and beets. So they were used. Therefore, for the holiday itself, whole mountains of painted women were exhibited on the tables. It is this everyday necessity that explains why eggs are painted and Easter cakes are baked according to recipes in which there is a lot of baking.

Butter, milk, sour cream, eggs - these are exactly the foods that were collected in large quantities during the fast.

Therefore, the hostesses could not save, but turn from the heart to cook rich pastries.

Moreover, they baked a lot of cakes, so that for all 40 days there was enough, as it is customary to celebrate Easter.

Why Easter eggs are painted red: the legend of Mary Magdalene

Perhaps this legend is the most widespread, as it is directly related to the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ. It tells the story of a poor girl who witnessed this miracle.

And she had nothing to present to the emperor, except that the usual chicken egg. She took him with her to be admitted to the ruler.

The girl enthusiastically talked about the miracle that had happened, about the incredible event. But the powerful ruler just laughed in her face, not believing a single word.

And Tiberius uttered the fatal words that went down in history. "Just as a hen's egg never blushes, a dead person can never rise again."

How amazed he and all those present were when in his hands instantly the white egg changed color and turned red.

But it is known for certain that the first Christians began to simply imitate Mary. And always with the words: "Christ is Risen," - to give each other red eggs.

Painted eggs as a symbol of life

In the future, the vision of Christians on the egg as a symbol changed, especially with the advent of Christianity to the Slavic peoples.

Here they believed more that the egg is a symbol of the robe of the Lord. But about the color red, you can hear several opinions.

First of all, it is a symbol of resurrection. According to another version, the eggs are colored with the blood of the Lord.

But everyone is unanimous that by breaking the shell on the egg, a person breaks the shackles of death, giving a chance for life.

After all, it is with life that the egg itself is directly associated with many peoples.

Red stones as a prototype of colored eggs

You can also find a legend that the eggs symbolize the stones that lay at the entrance to the cave, where the Savior was buried.

They turned red after resurrection and began to symbolize the innocent blood shed.

But how true this story is and whether it can be associated with the habit of dyeing eggs is difficult to judge today.

This story tells about an unprecedented incident that took place precisely during the procession to Calvary.

As you know, many people gathered to watch the torture of the innocent convict.

Their goal was to express their discontent and indignation, which was expressed in abuse and throwing stones.

There were also quite a few curious people who came to gaze at such a large-scale show.

And few of those present could even think about helping the martyrs, among whom was Jesus Christ.

But still, there were people who were not afraid to give him water, boards, or just help him get back on his feet.

It was among such brave daredevils, whose faith was true, that the egg merchant was.

Although the man was executed by accident - he was just heading to the market with a basket of eggs.

Seeing how Christ fell to his knees, the merchant rushed to his aid, forgetting about his product.

He simply left the basket full of chicken eggs on the side of the road.

When he returned, he was amazed at what he saw. All the eggs in the basket turned red.

He was amazed at this miracle and decided not to sell amazing eggs, but to distribute to his relatives and friends.

How surprised all his acquaintances were when they learned on the third day about an even greater miracle - the great resurrection.

More ancient traditions of dyeing eggs

However, people began to paint eggs not after the adoption of Christianity, but much earlier.

So it is worth getting acquainted with those ancient customs that have been able to reach our days, albeit having been greatly modified.

Legends of the pagan ancestors

In paganism, the egg was given a special place, since it symbolized new life, the rebirth of the Universe.

You can find the interpretation of the meaning of the egg, as the beginning of eternal life hidden in it.

Therefore, in various rituals associated with the celebration of their celebrations, a special place was given to the chicken egg.

Legends of Ancient Rome

Another story closely related to colored eggs tells of a prophecy that was given at the birth of the future famous emperor Marcus Aurelius.

A domestic hen that day laid an unusual egg - it was strewn with red dots.

Since great importance in those days was attached to various predictions, they immediately turned to local broadcasters.

They predicted that a great destiny awaits the boy, but others argued that this is just a good sign for the woman in labor herself.

But you must admit that for a mother, the great fate of her son is also a good prediction. So in every such clarification, there was a grain of truth.

And the Romans themselves loved to use boiled eggs, and on the eve of big holidays they tried to give them a more solemn look.

Eggs are a toy

Chicken eggs were painted in ancient times to make a toy for the baby.

Such fun could be found in any poor family, where there was simply no opportunity to purchase toys.

Children enjoyed playing with such interesting colorful eggs.

They say that even the mother of Jesus, the Holy Virgin Mary, amused her child with such fun.

What do the other colors of the dyed eggs mean?

But today eggs are dyed not only in red. Wouldn't such options be symbolic and not suitable for the holiday? Do they really make them multicolored just for the sake of a beautiful picture?

No, each color has a specific meaning, which is quite consistent with the Easter symbolism:

  • White is associated with heavenly, that is, meaning spirituality, purity.
  • They paint yellow, orange or gold to attract prosperity, wealth.
  • Blue is considered the color of the Virgin - it is associated with kindness, hope, peace and love.
  • Eggs are painted green in honor of rebirth and prosperity.

In many countries there is a tradition to make not just colored eggs for Easter, but to decorate them with patterns and drawings.

Such eggs are called Easter eggs, drapanki, and dyed eggs.

Trees and flowers, temples and symbols, geometric shapes and ornaments are painted on them.

Moreover, each such symbol has a specific meaning:

  • The tree is a symbol of the development of a kind;
  • The hand signifies the presence of God;
  • The sun symbolizes the renewal of life;
  • The cross means Christianity.

The Church does not forbid and even approves of such decorating of eggs. The only thing that is not advised to paint on eggs is the faces of the saints.

This is due to the fact that after the shell is sent to the trash along with such stickers, which is blasphemy.

Easter is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the most important, bright and significant holiday in Christianity. The sinless Son of God shed his blood, rose from the grave, conquered death in order to give people eternal, new life, free from grief and sin.

For hundreds of years this victory has been symbolized by colored eggs, becoming an obligatory attribute of "breaking the fast", family feast and ritual offering of Christians on the bright day of the manifestation of God's mercy.

Stories and legends

The custom of dyeing eggs for Easter is characteristic of Orthodox Christians in all countries of the world and dates back to pagan times.

Eggs among the Slavs have always symbolized the beginning of life, fertility, spring rebirth, in order to appease the gods, they dipped them in blood and sacrificed propitiation to spirits. Testicles painted red were considered a family talisman, a guarantee of health, luck and safety.

The Christian history of the ancient pagan rite was first mentioned in a tenth century manuscript kept in the monastery of St. Anastasia in Greece. It sets out the church charter, according to which, after the blessing of the Easter gifts prepared for the meal, the abbot was to distribute painted bird eggs to the brethren with the words: "Christ is Risen!"

In Russia, on the Bright Sunday of Christ, the Orthodox since ancient times exchanged such greetings, christened with a threefold kiss and gave testicles consecrated in the church.

Easter eggs - natural, wooden, bone, carved - the master gave to the servant, the boss to the subordinate, the rich beggar. Eggs on this day clearly symbolized the unity of the Orthodox people and the equality of all before one God, who does not look at faces, but looks into the treasury of the human heart.

Good all Mary Magdalene to the Roman ruler

The Bible and Holy Scriptures do not mention the rite of coloring eggs. The stories and legends that arose on the basis of the Gospel do not have direct confirmation, but the tradition of making the egg a symbol of the holiday has confidently entered the list of Easter rituals.

The most famous legend tells of Mary Magdalene, who was the first to see the resurrected savior and began to preach about him in Rome even before the Apostle Paul. To the Roman emperor Tiberius Mary Magdalene presented an egg with the words: "Christ is Risen!"

Immediately after these words, the white chicken egg turned red right in his hands, confirming the good news of Mary about the great event of that time.

Miracle during a meal

Another story about why believers paint eggs for the holiday tells of a meal of the Jews in Palestine after the execution of Jesus Christ.

One of those present at the table remembered Christ's promise to be resurrected on the third day after his death. To these words, another companion replied that such a miracle can only happen if the fried chicken on the platter comes to life and the boiled eggs turn red.

In a moment everything happened exactly with the words of the doubting Jew.

The nobility of the egg trader

The Lutheran Church adheres to its version of colored eggs, which has a direct connection with biblical events. The legend tells of the most tragic moment in Scripture, namely the procession of the Savior to Calvary.

The cross, which Jesus carried to the place of his execution, amid the cries of the curse of the crowd, was very heavy. A passing egg dealer, seeing the suffering and pain of the convict, rushed to his aid. He left the basket with his fragile goods on the side of the road, and when he returned, he saw that all the eggs had turned bright red.

Believing in Divine intervention, the merchant did not carry them to the market, but distributed them to relatives and friends, telling about the miracle that had happened.

Stones of Faith of Saint Peter

One of the disciples of the son of God on earth, who later became an apostle and founder of the Christian church, was Peter. After Christ's ascension to heaven, Peter and other brothers walked around Judea and talked about their faith. In one city, wicked people refused to accept their testimony and began throwing stones to kill the early Christians.

And then a miracle happened: the flying stones began to turn into red chicken eggs, without harming Peter and his companions. Then the abandoned people stopped persecuting "heretics" and humbly accepted Christianity.

Why were eggs painted only red before?

There are many legends, stories and legends introducing the origin of the tradition of painting eggs. They may have biblical roots and not have a religious origin, have a mythological and purely everyday character.

All of them have one thing in common - the red color of the shell from bright scarlet to dark crimson, symbolizing the blood of Christ shed on Calvary in the name of atonement for the sins of all people. In memory and recognition of God's great mercy and love, Christians paint eggs in the color of the blood of their Savior.

The non-Christian historical version tells of a prophecy received by the mother of the great commander and emperor Marcus Aurelius. On the day of his birth, one of the domestic hens in the yard laid an unusual egg with red dots.

The Romans were distinguished by their great superstition in various miracles and predictions, therefore, the words of the court broadcaster about the great fate of the child, which became prophetic, laid the foundation for the custom of giving each other painted eggs for the holidays.

In addition, the crimson color always indicated belonging to the highest nobility, and only representatives of royal dynasties wore clothes made of red fabric.

What are eggs painted with?

On Easter, eggs are painted by boiling them in any broth, after allowing it to settle for a while. This method was used in ancient times and is preferred to use now, since it is the "grandmother's" method that remains the highest quality and safest for health.

To give the egg bright saturated colors will help:

  • onion husks, cherry bark - red, brown, orange;
  • turmeric - yellow gold color, a symbol of wealth;
  • beets - the pink color of purity and innocence;
  • hibiscus, blue cabbage - blue radiance of hope and kindness;
  • brilliant green - a marbled green shade, symbolizing rebirth.

Before Easter, a huge selection of artificial dyes, stickers, transfers appears on sale, but natural dyes are traditionally in demand. Their advantage also lies in the fact that they not only color the shell, but also strengthen it.

How long does an Easter egg last?

They began to paint eggs from the beginning of the Great 40-day fast in Orthodoxy, since church rules forbade them to eat them at that time.

So that they do not deteriorate and so that they can subsequently be distinguished from fresh raw ones, the eggs were boiled in onion husks, smeared with sunflower oil and stored until the bright day of Christ.

According to the Orthodox tradition, the consecrated egg must be kept behind the icons for a year until the next Great Sunday, since it has healing and magical properties.

An Easter egg, like an ordinary one, does not need to be eaten after the expiration of the shelf life, but if precautions are taken, it can retain its attractiveness for a long time and become a visual symbol of eternal divine life in the house.

Video: how did the tradition of dyeing Easter eggs come about?

Painted eggs are one of the main symbols of Easter. Nowadays, few people think about the meaning of this symbol and the meaning that it carries. In addition, today some Christians completely neglect the observance of Easter traditions, painting eggs in all colors of the rainbow, or even making images of Jesus Christ on them.

Why and why is it customary to paint eggs red for Easter? There are several versions that answer this question.

According to the first version, originally eggs were painted for Easter for purely practical purposes. During Lent, which lasted 40 years, eggs were not allowed. The chickens did not stop laying, and the people boiled the eggs to keep them from spoiling. And they dyed them so that they could be distinguished from fresh ones.

Second version directly related to the Bible story and explains the symbolism of the red-colored Easter egg. The first Easter egg was presented by Mary Magdalene to Emperor Tiberius. At that time, it was impossible to come to the emperor empty-handed. Mary Magdalene presented an egg to Tiberius after the resurrection of Jesus with the words "Christ is Risen!" The emperor did not believe her words and objected to her, saying that no one can rise from the dead, just as a white egg cannot turn red. At the same moment, the egg in his hands turned red, thereby confirming the words of Magdalene about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Since then, a tradition has emerged to paint eggs for Easter. Initially, the color was only red. Red is a symbol of the shed blood of Christ in the name of the salvation of all mankind. And the egg was considered a symbol of life, the beginning of all that exists. Later, to this day, Easter eggs began to be painted with different colors. The Church does not prohibit painting eggs in other colors, but always reminds that every home on Easter should have red eggs as a symbol of the blood of Christ and his resurrection.

It should be noted that with the tradition of painting eggs in different colors, people began to pay special attention to the meaning of colors. Since it is customary to give eggs on Easter, having presented an egg of a certain color, you can wish a person one or another good in life.

What does the color of an Easter egg mean

  • White color considered heavenly and means purity and spirituality.
  • Yellow, gold and orange egg color is associated with wealth and prosperity.
  • Blue the color of eggs is the color of the Mother of God and symbolizes kindness, peace, hope and love for one's neighbor.
  • Green Easter eggs signify prosperity and rebirth.

How you can not dye eggs

Today, there are many ways to paint eggs for Easter. The most common way is to apply special stickers to the egg and a variety of images and festive symbols. You can buy these stickers before Easter at any supermarket. But is it possible to decorate eggs in this way? The Church does not prohibit the use of such stickers, with the exception of those that depict the faces of saints. After all, after eating an egg, the shell is thrown into the trash, along with the image of the saint - this is blasphemy.

On the bright holiday of Easter, do not forget to exchange painted eggs with your loved ones and relatives and say the cherished and joyful words "Christ is Risen!" This phrase takes on a special meaning and strength, giving hope, faith and love! Good luck and don’t forget to press the buttons and

09.04.2015 09:21

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Have you ever wondered why eggs are painted on Easter, and why they must be on the Easter table? It turns out that the tradition of painting eggs for Easter has its own legend, according to which, during the existence of the Roman Empire, people could visit the emperor with a petition, only by bringing him something as a gift. The rich brought gold as a gift to the ruler, and those who did not have gold brought what was in the household. And when Mary Magdalene decided to bring the message of the resurrection of Christ to Emperor Tiberius, it turned out that she had nothing but a white hen's egg. Holding out her gift, she said “Christ is risen!”, But the emperor laughed and replied that he would believe the news only if this white egg changed its color to red. Naturally, at the same moment, a miracle happened, and the egg turned bright red. Then the utterly surprised emperor said "Truly is risen!" Hence the custom of painting eggs and greeting on Easter with these phrases came from. And that is why in the old days, eggs were painted red, as indicated in the legend. Now, when it became clear why eggs are painted on Easter and why most often they are painted red, it has come to figure out how you still need to paint eggs correctly.

We have already figured out why eggs are dyed red for Easter most often - this is done according to tradition, and not because the range of natural dyes is limited. In fact, colorful Easter eggs can be obtained without artificial colors, although they are undoubtedly easier to do with them.

So, how and what to color eggs for Easter, if you have not stocked up with food coloring? Yes, exactly the same as they were painted in the old days! So, first decide on the desired color, and then start preparing the coloring broth. To make the color more saturated, the broth must first be allowed to brew for about half an hour, and then boil the eggs in it.

To color the eggs red, use beets, onion peels are suitable to obtain a brown tint, carrots or oranges for light yellow, and birch leaves or walnut shells will give the eggs a more intense yellow color. Also for Easter, eggs can be painted blue using red cabbage leaves, for beige, you must use coffee. Boil eggs for coloring in such decoctions for 15-30 minutes.

Food coloring is easier. It is necessary to dip the hard-boiled eggs into the dye solution for 10-15 minutes. After that, take out the egg and dry it on a napkin without wiping it off. But it is worth remembering that eggs with damaged shells cracked during cooking are not recommended for such a color - getting a dye (whatever it may be food) inside the egg is not desirable.

After coloring and drying, Easter eggs are advised to rub with vegetable oil for shine.

How to get patterns when coloring Easter eggs?

Not everyone wants to be limited to monochromatic colors in the coloring of eggs and try to paint them with any patterns. True, not everyone knows exactly how to do this. The most obvious thing is to paint the eggs with gouache or watercolors. But this work is long, painstaking and thankless - when cleaning, all the paint will remain on your hands. It is much easier and faster to do so that after boiling and immersion in a dye solution, the eggs are immediately patterned. This can be achieved in several ways. For example, cut out figures from the plaster and stick them on the eggs, then boil the eggs in onion peels (or dip the boiled ones in a dye solution), dry and peel off the plaster. For finer patterns, you can use a wax candle - apply wax patterns, paint and dry the eggs, and only then clean off the wax. Or try lace - you need to wrap the eggs in cloth, dye and dry, then remove the cloth and you will get Easter eggs painted with fancy patterns.