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 to give people eternal life, new life free from grief and sin.
This victory has been symbolized for hundreds of years by colored eggs, becoming an obligatory attribute of “breaking the fast,” family feasts and ritual offerings of Christians on the bright day of the manifestation of God’s mercy.
Stories and legends
The custom of painting eggs for Easter is common to Orthodox Christians in all countries of the world and dates back to pagan times.
The Slavs always symbolized the beginning of life, fertility, and spring rebirth. To appease the gods, they dipped them in blood and sacrificed them to propitiate the spirits. Testicles painted red were considered a talisman for the family, a guarantee of health, good luck and safety.
The Christian history of the ancient pagan rite is first mentioned in a 10th-century manuscript kept in the monastery of St. Anastasia in Greece. It sets out the church charter, according to which, after blessing the Easter gifts prepared for the meal, the abbot had to distribute painted bird eggs to the brethren with the words: “Christ is Risen!”
In Rus', on Easter Sunday, Orthodox Christians have since ancient times exchanged this greeting, kissed Christ three times, and given testicles consecrated in the church.
Easter eggs - natural, wooden, bone, carved - were given by a master to a servant, by a boss to a subordinate, by a rich man to a beggar. Eggs on this day clearly symbolized the unity of the Orthodox people and the equality of all before the one God, who does not look at faces, but looks into the treasury of the human heart.
Blessings of all Mary Magdalene to the Roman Governor
The Bible and Holy Scripture do not mention the ritual 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 an 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 as a gift with the words: “Christ is Risen!” In response, the ruler of Rome objected that dead man it is impossible to become alive again.
Immediately after these words, white chicken egg blushed right in his hands, confirming the good news of Mary about the great event of that time.
A miracle during a meal
Another story about why believers paint eggs for the holiday tells about the meal of the Jews in Palestine after the execution of Jesus Christ.
One of those present at the table remembered Christ’s promise to resurrect on the third day after his death. To these words, another dining companion replied that such a miracle could only happen if the fried chicken on the dish came to life and the boiled eggs turned red.
A moment later, everything happened exactly as the doubting Jew had said.
The nobility of the egg merchant
The Lutheran Church adheres to its version of colored eggs, which has a direct connection with biblical events. The legend tells about the most tragic moment in Scripture, namely the procession of the Savior to Golgotha.
The cross that Jesus carried to the place of his execution amid the shouts of curses from the crowd was very heavy. A passing egg merchant, seeing the suffering and pain of the condemned man, 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 take them to the market, but distributed them to relatives and friends, telling about the miracle that had happened.
Stones of Faith of Saint Peter the Apostle
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 into heaven, Peter and other brothers walked around Judea and talked about their faith. In one city evil people They did not want to accept their testimony and began throwing stones to kill the first Christians.
And then a miracle happened: the flying stones began to turn into red chicken eggs, without harming Peter and his comrades. Then those who abandoned them stopped persecuting the “heretics” and humbly accepted Christianity.
Why were eggs only painted red in the past?
There are many legends, stories and traditions that introduce where the tradition of dyeing eggs came from. They may have biblical roots and not have a religious origin, or be mythological and purely everyday in nature.
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 remembrance and recognition of God's great mercy and love, Christians dye eggs the color of their Savior's blood.
The non-Christian historical version tells of a prophecy received by the mother of the great general and emperor Marcus Aurelius. On the day of his birth, one of the domestic hens at court laid an unusual egg with red dots.
The Romans were very superstitious in various miracles and predictions, therefore the words of the court broadcaster about great destiny children, who became prophetic, laid the foundation for the custom of giving each other colored eggs on holidays.
In addition, the crimson color always indicated belonging to the highest nobility, and only representatives of royal dynasties wore clothes made of red material.
How do you color eggs?
At Easter, eggs are colored by boiling them in any broth, after letting it sit for some time. This method was used in ancient times and is preferred to be used now, since it is the “grandmother’s” method that remains the highest quality and safest for health.
The following will help give the egg bright, rich colors:
- onion peel, cherry bark - red, brown, orange colors;
- turmeric - yellow color of gold, a symbol of wealth;
- beet - pink purity and innocence;
- hibiscus, blue cabbage - blue radiance of hope and kindness;
- brilliant green is a marbled green shade symbolizing rebirth.
Before Easter, a huge selection of artificial dyes, stickers, and transfers appear on sale, but natural dyes traditionally remain in demand. Their advantage lies in the fact that they not only color the shell, but also strengthen it.
How long does an Easter egg last?
Eggs began to be painted from the beginning of the Great 40-day Lent in Orthodoxy, since church rules It was forbidden to eat them at this time.
To prevent them from spoiling and so that they could later be distinguished from fresh raw ones, the eggs were boiled in onion peels and smeared sunflower oil and kept until the bright day of Christ.
According to Orthodox tradition, the consecrated egg must be kept behind the icons for a year until the next Great Sunday, as it has healing and magical properties.
An Easter egg, like an ordinary one, does not need to be eaten after the expiration date, 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 coloring Easter eggs begin?
After the festive night Easter service, believers, returning home from church for the first time after forty days of fasting, gather at the festive table and break their fast, i.e. They eat fast food, which was blessed in the church the day before. Usually this is Easter cottage cheese, Easter cakes and painted Easter eggs.
Despite the fact that the custom has existed for many years, many people today still ask the question: “Why are Easter eggs painted?” This tradition came to us from early Christian times. The Bible says that one of the disciples of Jesus Christ was Mary Magdalene, who dedicated her life to preaching the Christian faith.
On the day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, Mary Magdalene went to the Roman Emperor Tiberius to notify him of the Resurrection of the Savior. In those days, it was impossible to come to the emperor without an offering or gift. Mary Magdalene was poor and did not have the opportunity to give gifts to the emperor, so she brought him a simple chicken egg. Since the true purpose of the woman’s coming was the news of the Resurrection of the Lord, then, holding out the offering to Tiberius, she said: “Christ has risen.”
Hearing this news, the emperor did not believe it and asked: “How can anyone rise from the dead? This is as hard to believe as the fact that a white egg will turn red.” Immediately before his eyes, the egg that Mary Magdalene brought changed its color and became red. The people present at that moment spread the news everywhere. As a sign of this event, in honor of Holy Easter, all over the world, true believers paint eggs both red and other colors on the eve of the holiday.
There is also a belief that the custom of painting eggs for Easter appeared after the birth of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180). According to legend, on the day when he was born future emperor, the chicken laid an egg with red dots, which was considered happy sign. Later, the Romans developed a tradition of giving each other such a gift at Easter.
According to another version, the red color used to paint eggs for Easter symbolizes the blood and suffering of the Lord on the cross.
In the Christian faith, the Easter egg symbolizes the Holy Sepulcher and eternal life. This is due to the fact that the stone with which the entrance to the cave where the Holy Sepulchre was located was walled up was shaped like an egg. In addition, everyone knows that new life is born under the eggshell.
Today eggs for Easter are painted in the most different colors. For this, they use both store-bought dyes and beets, onion skins or red cabbage. According to tradition, it is necessary to paint eggs and bake Easter cakes on Maundy Thursday.
Video: Why are eggs painted for Easter?
What if Mary Magdalene had not gone to the emperor with good news? What if Tiberius had mentioned a color other than red? Would the egg have become an Easter symbol if the myrrh-bearer had taken a loaf of bread or a coin as a gift? Why and why are eggs painted for Easter? Is it possible to paint them in other colors and with what? Read more in the article.
Easter is a celebration of the victory of life over death, a day when extraordinary miracles happen and the egg symbolizes one of the miracles that happened on the day of the resurrection of Christ. Even during the era of communist atheism, people dyed eggs for Easter, often without the slightest idea where this tradition came from. It’s just beautiful, interesting, and quite a fun process for children. And only believers knew the whole story Easter tradition, which does not disappear and is passed on to next generations.
And Mary Magdalene came to Tiberius...
One of the main stories explaining the origin of the tradition is associated with the coming of Mary Magdalene to Emperor Tiberius. Then there was a custom - whoever visited the emperor's palace had to bring a gift. Its value was not specified, so ordinary people It was allowed to bring something inexpensive.
And Mary Magdalene came to Tiberius and brought him joyful news - Christ is Risen, to which the emperor laughed and said - the dead do not rise from oblivion, but if your truth is true, so be it white egg, brought by you, red. At that same moment, the egg in the hands of Mary Magdalene turned red, and the emperor and everyone who observed this miracle believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In general, if you give an egg favorable conditions, without boiling scrambled eggs from it, you will get a living creature, it is considered a symbol of life, also Jesus Christ, when they put him in a cave, Mary Magdalene came, but the body was no longer there. This is Christ is Risen! Same with eggs for Easter, that’s why. Since then, it has become traditional to paint eggs for Easter, which took on a completely different meaning and became the victory of life over death.
At first, eggs were painted only red, symbolizing the shed blood of Christ, and much later they began to decorate the Easter table with them, painted in other colors - yellow, blue, green, purple. Whether someone once accidentally colored eggshells with some natural dye, or someone deliberately wanted to experiment, it doesn’t matter. Nowadays eggs are colored with purchased dyes or the old fashioned way – with natural dyes from what is in the house. But not everyone knows how to dye eggs for Easter and what color.
Types of natural dyes
- Onion peels - from yellow to brown, depending on the strength of the broth.
- Blueberries range from blue to deep purple.
- Cherry bark and branches are red.
- Turmeric ranges from pale yellow to deep orange.
- Birch leaves, strong tea or coffee are painted brown.
- Leaves of nettle, spinach, parsley - green.
- Beetroot is a permanent dye that will impart all shades of beetroot, from pink to deep red.
- Red cabbage, contrary to logic, will turn the shell blue.
- Dark grape juice is purple in color.
And there are many other plants that contain one or another natural dye - carrots, paprika, raspberries.
Types of Easter eggs
Often craftsmen do not just paint, but create real masterpieces. This gave rise to the following types of Easter eggs:
- dyes - simply painted in one or two colors;
- Easter eggs - with an abstract design or biblical scenes;
- drapanki - a painted testicle on which a design has been scratched with a needle;
- specks - eggs are colored not monolithically, but in spots. This is often done using wax.
In addition to natural chicken eggs, people sometimes give Easter eggs as souvenirs made from wood, birch bark, beads, bone, or fabric.
The egg has always been a symbol of life. If you think about it, the term itself everywhere and always represents the birth of a new life. And it’s not for nothing that it became a symbol of Easter as a symbol eternal life.
What do they give on Easter Sunday, what, how and why do they paint eggs for Easter - you now know. The main thing is that they are sanctified, and that faith lives in the soul.
Why are Easter eggs red? The answer to this question lies in the Easter tradition itself, within which the egg acts as one of the main symbols of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. According to legend, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, during her sermon in Rome, presented Emperor Tiberius with a chicken egg, while exclaiming: “Christ is Risen!”
In response to this, the Roman emperor objected that this chicken egg would rather turn from white to red than he would believe that anyone living on this Earth had the ability to resurrect. The ruler of Rome demanded a miracle and a miracle happened. In front of many people, the chicken egg presented by Magdalene turned red.
So, according to the Bible, or more precisely, according to the New Testament, red eggs for Easter firmly entered the tradition of the celebration and became, along with Easter cake, the main attribute of the holiday. Christians around the world began to dye eggs primarily red and other colors. There is an analogy here: a chicken egg symbolizes the birth of a new life. Christ the Savior, with his death on the cross, atoned for the sins of all mankind and gave new life. The shell of a chicken egg symbolizes the coffin, and the red color symbolizes the blood shed by Jesus Christ. There is another reason why eggs are painted red at Easter.
The second important meaning of the red egg on the Holy Resurrection of Christ is the royal dignity of Jesus Christ. In the east, red was associated with royal power.
Until now, it is difficult to imagine Easter without eggs painted in different colors. Eggs, consecrated in the church early in the morning on Easter, along with Easter cake and other products, are the first product that is used to break the fast after the long and, without exaggeration, difficult Lent, which precedes the Holy Resurrection of Christ.
However, there is another legend about the red egg for Easter, which sends us to Ancient Rome to Emperor Marcus Aurelius. An incident is described that occurred in 121 AD. The family of the future emperor (who was a small child at the time) maintained a huge chicken coop. One day, workers found an egg laid by a chicken in the straw, completely covered with bright red dots.
This event was perceived as an exceptionally good omen, predicting a great and bright future for the new ruler of Rome. Since then, the tradition of giving each other colored eggs arose on the territory of the empire. With the birth of Jesus Christ, and later with the fulfillment of his great mission, colored eggs (especially red) acquired symbolism of the Savior’s blood shed for humanity and eternal life for everyone who believes.
But this is not the only meaning of a chicken egg for Easter. The fact is that in Palestine, where decisive events for humanity took place with the advent of Jesus Christ, it was customary to build tombs in caves, the entrance to which was blocked with stones after the deceased was left there. The stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb, where they left the body of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross, was very similar in shape to a chicken egg. Thus, in Christianity, the Easter egg is a symbol of the Holy Sepulcher, in which eternal life is hidden.
Another one is described in various sources interesting case, associated with the hen's egg and the death and subsequent resurrection of Christ. A group of Jews gathered after Jesus' execution for a meal. Among the dishes on the table were fried chicken and boiled eggs. One of those present remembered the promise of Jesus Christ to give his life on the cross, and then to rise on the third day, to which his interlocutors replied that it would be more likely that a fried chicken would come to life, and the eggs would turn from white to red. The next moment the eggs actually turned red.
P.S. According to another legend, it is believed that the Mother of God herself dyed chicken eggs as a child to please the little Savior. A painted chicken egg for Easter reminds us of the great gift of Jesus Christ given to every believer.
Today it is impossible to imagine the bright holiday of Easter without traditional Easter cakes with sweet powder and colored eggs. They are the ones who need to be dedicated to the church and be the first to partake and break the fast after Great and Strict Lent.
But few people know where the tradition of dyeing eggs for Easter came from and why they chose this particular product among many other options. Today, instead of traditional colored eggs, you can see them in special stickers, which children love. After all, the egg is in pictures from all sides, which the child loves to look at for a long time. It would be nice to tell your child where the tradition of painting and consecrating eggs came from, and to find out about it yourself.
Easter traditions: why did you choose the egg?
Exists huge amount opinions about when they started painting eggs for Easter and who introduced this custom. Among them there are Christian versions, as well as pagan and even quite everyday ones. For example, in ancient times, so that eggs did not disappear during the 40-day Great and Strict Lent, they were boiled. But in order not to confuse them with raw ones, they were colored in onion skins or any other natural dye. After which, such eggs could easily be stored for a long period of time.
According to legend, Mary Magdalene, who is highly revered in the Christian faith, having learned about the resurrection of Christ, decided to convey this good news to Tiberius, the Roman emperor. In those days, it was customary to come to the emperor with a gift, but having nothing but an egg, the saint presented it as a gift. At Mary’s words, the emperor just burst out laughing and said that it was easier for this egg to turn red than for Christ to escape from the shackles of death. As soon as he said these words, the egg immediately turned red, so people began to paint eggs red, which is interpreted as a sign and proof that Christ conquered death.
There is also a legend that speaks of the Jews gathering for a meal after the execution of Jesus Christ. At the table, one of the Jews reminded the table diners that in exactly 3 days, Christ must rise again. But the other only laughed at these words and, in turn, objected that this would happen before the cooked chicken lying in front of them came to life and the boiled eggs on the table turned red. In a moment, the eggs turned scarlet, and the chicken turned from fried to alive.
The third version says that even in infancy, Christ played with eggs that the Virgin Mary herself painted for him as toys.
The Easter egg in Rus' has always had great meaning, since life was born in it. After the consecration, it was laid out on overgrown oats, wheat or lettuce leaves, which were specially grown for this purpose. Throughout the entire Easter week (week), it was customary to give such eggs to each other, go on a visit with them and put them on the festive table.
The blessed eggs were kept for a whole year, until next Easter, and they never spoiled. In Optina Hermitage there was a monk who, among two others, was killed on Easter. Every Easter he broke his fast with last year's egg, as proof that Christ was indeed Risen!
Why are eggs painted red for Easter and how to do it?
Known large number methods of coloring eggs, both artificial and natural dyes. Eggs that had one color were called dyed eggs or galunkas. In order to give the egg a natural red tint, you must use peeled onion peels, which our grandmothers used to paint eggs. To obtain a different color, it was necessary to use a variety of decoctions from the corresponding plants.
Today you can buy a huge number of dyes that can give eggs a variety of colors. But you shouldn’t get too carried away with them, because all artificial colors are not in the best possible way may affect the well-being of your loved ones, especially children. If you want to somehow diversify your Easter basket, you should pay attention to special stickers for eggs, which have become very popular in recent years. But the most traditional Easter egg is the boiled red one.
Why did this particular color become traditional and not some other? The fact is that it is the red color that symbolizes the blood of the Savior, who suffered for our sins and was crucified on the cross. By coloring the eggs red, we honor his memory.
To give the egg a traditional red color, you need to take onion peels from 5-6 large or medium-sized onions, place them in a container of water and boil along with the eggs for 7-8 minutes. Onion peels will not only give a beautiful red hue to the eggs, evenly covering them on all sides, but will also strengthen the shell. That is why, when coloring eggs with natural dyes, you will rarely see cracked shells or leaked whites.
To give the egg a different shade, such as purple, make beetroot broth.
You need to chop the beets (can be cut into cubes), place them in a container with water and put them there raw eggs so that the water barely covers them. Also boil for 7-8 minutes and remove to cool completely.
For a blue tint, you need to boil the cabbage, but only the red color. We do everything exactly the same as with beets. Only chopped cabbage needs to be boiled until it turns completely white. So she will give her natural colors to the water, which will color the eggs in the color we need.
What day is it customary to paint eggs for Easter?
TO happy holiday Housewives always prepare Easter in advance. General cleaning of the house is carried out, all the accumulated rubbish for the year is thrown out, everything is washed and ironed. Since Easter always takes place in the spring, it is also a period of renewal and new hopes. On this holiday, you can always feel some special joyful and bright spirit that lights up people’s eyes in a new way.
The last week of Great Lent is the most strict. And all the main preparations fall on Maundy Thursday. It is on this day that it is customary to wash your face with the first rays of light. rising sun, bake Easter cakes and start painting eggs. On Good Friday, Orthodox Christians abstained from food, fervently prayed to the Lord and did not do any housework, devoting everything to free time prayer.
After the consecration of Easter, the first thing when arriving home was the festive meal. People broke their fast with a blessed Easter cake and an egg. There is a game where people took eggs and smashed them against each other. Anyone whose egg remained intact could count on good year. Such games remain especially popular among children.
As you prepare for the holiday of Easter, remember that your thoughts should remain pure and joyful. It is necessary to think not only about festive table, but also take care of your soul and once again pray for yourself and your loved ones. After all, everyone is rewarded according to his faith.
Christ is risen!
How to paint eggs for Easter
Easter history and traditions