Why coloring eggs

Generally, historians seem to think that the custom got started when the ancient Persians, or Zoroastrians, painted eggs for Nowruz, or Persian New Year, according to The Kitchn.

That custom continues today among some Persian families who dye eggs to mark Nowruz. The exact moment that Christians started dyeing eggs has been lost to the annals of history, but it's been a part of Easter celebrations for centuries.

When Christianity spread to Ukraine in the 10th century , the old tradition of drawing on eggs with wax and dye, called pisanki or pysanky, became associated with the new religion. In the Greek Orthodox tradition , dyed red eggs have marked the occasion since Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb of Jesus and discovered that he was no longer there and her snack basket of eggs turned bright red. The technique has remained largely the same: Designs are applied using beeswax and a stylus, then dipped and sometimes dyed again.

At first, the dyes were muted and reflected the colors of the sun, including yellow, orange and red. They were made from botanical substances such as beet juice or onion skins.

Later, motifs evolved to reflect Christian symbols, such as a cross or fish. The colors became more vivid as chemical dyes were developed.

Today, pysanky workshops are held across the U. And even though most of us might not create the gorgeous and complex pysanky designs, many people dye at least a dozen or two for Easter there are million dozen eggs sold during the Easter season! Country Life. Design Ideas. Home Maintenance. Moreover, historically Christians would abstain from eating eggs and meat during Lent , and Easter was the first chance to eat eggs after a long period of abstinence.

Orthodox Christians continue to abstain from eggs during Lent. Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. An egg hunt involves hiding eggs outside for children to run around and find on Easter morning. News U. Politics Joe Biden Congress Extremism.

Be sure to wait to apply glitter until after the dye has completely dried, however. There are even more designs to choose from—we have 63 ways to easily decorate your Easter eggs beyond traditional dyes, including decoupaged eggs , foiled designs , marbled and speckled how-to's , and paint-splattered eggs. Most of these designs don't require you to blow out the egg, meaning you can simply hard-boil them and get cracking on your Easter egg.

Easter Egg Dyeing Updated March 15, Save Pin More. Start Slideshow. Credit: Janelle Jones. Credit: Antonis Achilleos.

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