How to paint eggs for Easter: why they do it, how to paint an egg beautifully. Why do they paint eggs and bake Easter cakes at Easter - the history of Easter symbols

The Easter egg is a symbol of the spring holiday, along with Easter cake and cottage cheese. These bright symbols of the Holy Resurrection of Christ are known to every person since childhood, but perhaps not everyone knows why eggs are painted at Easter.

There are many versions and explanations - starting from a beautiful legend and ending with everyday necessity. will tell you about the most common ones.

Legends, versions, assumptions

The egg symbolizes life, rebirth, and the tradition of painting eggs for Easter goes back to ancient times. The first mention of colored eggs is found in a 10th-century manuscript found in the library of the Greek monastery of St. Anastasia.

© photo: Sputnik / Alexander Imedashvili

According to the manuscript, after the service on Easter, the abbot distributed blessed eggs to the brethren with the words: “Christ is Risen!”

But the answer to the question of when and why they began to paint eggs is still shrouded in mystery.

Legend has it that Mary Magdalene presented the first Easter egg to the Roman Emperor Tiberius to announce the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ.

According to ancient custom, gifts were presented to the emperor, and Mary Magdalene brought Tiberius a chicken egg as a gift with the words: “Christ is Risen!” However, Tiberius did not believe her words, objecting that no one can be resurrected, just as a white egg cannot turn red.

And as soon as the last word flew from his lips, a miracle happened - the chicken egg brought by Maria turned completely red. The color red symbolizes the blood shed on the cross by Jesus.

According to another legend, the tradition of painting eggs was started by the Virgin Mary, who painted eggs to entertain Jesus Christ when he was still a baby.

It has long been believed that the blessed Easter egg should be the first meal after a 40-day fast. Therefore, one of the simple and vital explanations also has a right to exist.

In particular, during Lent, believers limit their food intake and do not consume meat and dairy products. This fact did not affect the chickens, and they continued to lay eggs out of habit. To protect eggs from spoilage, they were boiled, and various dyes were added during cooking in order to subsequently distinguish a boiled egg from a raw one.

There is also an assumption that the custom of dyeing eggs for Easter is associated with the pre-Christian celebration of spring. For many peoples, the egg was the personification of life-giving power, therefore, in the customs and beliefs of the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, the egg was a symbol of birth and rebirth.

© photo: Sputnik / Mikhail Mordasov

Perhaps the tradition of painting eggs for Easter appeared and became established as a combination of several of the above versions. But in any case, a painted Easter egg is very beautiful, useful, and is an integral part of the holiday.

Originally the color was only red, symbolizing the blood of Christ. And the most common dyes for coloring eggs were naturally easily accessible, such as onion peels, cherry bark, beets, and so on.

In Georgia, eggs have been dyed with roots for a long time. medicinal plant Madder (Rubia tinctorum), which is popularly called "endro".

Over time, eggs began to be painted in other colors, using natural or food dyes. A chicken eggs began to be replaced by wooden, chocolate or made of precious metals and stones.

The color of the egg depends on what it is painted with, and the color itself also has meaning: red is a royal color, reminiscent of God's love for the human race, and blue is the color Holy Virgin, it is associated with kindness, hope, love for one's neighbor.

White is a heavenly color and symbolizes purity and spirituality, while yellow, like orange and gold, symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Green, like a fusion of blue and yellow flowers, means prosperity and rebirth.

Multi-colored and painted eggs give a cheerful mood and are the basis Easter games. Everyone loves to play games related to Easter eggs, especially children. The most famous games are egg rolling and egg beating.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

Long before the appearance of Christ, ancient peoples considered the egg to be the prototype of the Universe - from it the world surrounding man was born. The attitude towards the egg as a symbol of birth was reflected in the beliefs and customs of the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Among the Slavic peoples who converted to Christianity, the egg was associated with the fertility of the earth, with the spring revival of nature.

It’s difficult to say when and who first thought of changing its original color before eating an egg. There are several versions on this matter.

According to one of them, the custom of dyeing eggs is associated with the name of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. On the day Marcus Aurelius was born, one of his mother's hens allegedly laid an egg marked with red dots. The happy omen was interpreted as the birth of the future emperor. Since 224, it became a custom for the Romans to send colored eggs to each other as congratulations. Christians adopted this custom, giving it a different meaning: the red color has a special power, because the egg on Easter holidays is painted with the blood of Christ.

Another egg-dyeing legend says: after the death of Christ, seven Jews gathered for a feast. Among the dishes were fried chicken and hard-boiled eggs. During the feast, one of those gathered, remembering the executed man, said that Jesus would rise on the third day. To this the owner of the house objected: “If the chicken on the table comes to life and the eggs turn red, then he will resurrect.” And at that very moment the eggs changed color and the chicken came to life.

The third legend claims that it was the Virgin Mary, in order to entertain the baby Jesus, who first began to color eggs.

Another legend connects this custom with the name of the French king Louis the Saint, the inspirer of the Crusades. Released from captivity, he prepared to return to his homeland. Before his departure, a feast was held, at which, among other dishes, there were eggs painted in different colors.

There is also a more everyday explanation. During Lent, as you know, you cannot eat fast food, including eggs. But poultry You can’t persuade someone to take a time out for a good cause and not rush for 40 days! To prevent eggs from spoiling, they were boiled. Coloring was a way to distinguish boiled eggs from raw, so as not to confuse.

Soon the urgent need turned into an excellent ritual accompanying the Easter holiday.

Official Christian version. During the time of Roman rule, it was customary to bring him a gift when visiting the emperor. And when poor Mary Magdalene came to Rome to preach the faith to Emperor Tiberius, she gave him a simple chicken egg. Tiberius did not believe Mary’s story about the Resurrection of Christ and exclaimed: “How can someone rise from the dead? This is as impossible as if this egg suddenly turned red.” Immediately, before the eyes of the emperor, a miracle happened - the egg turned red, testifying to the truth of the Christian faith. And Tiberius exclaimed: “Truly he has risen!”

One of the most important and biggest spring holidays in Rus' was Easter. Distinctive feature and the main " actor The symbol of this holiday was a painted egg.

Since pagan times, the egg has been a symbol of life, birth and rebirth. Since ancient times, the egg has symbolized fertility and harmony in the family. In pagan times in Rus' they believed that a duck’s egg was the embryo of the whole world: “In the beginning, when there was nothing in the world except the boundless sea, a duck, flying over it, dropped the egg into the watery abyss. The egg split, and from its lower part the damp mother earth emerged, and from the upper part arose the high vault of heaven.” In mid-April, the Slavs in ancient times celebrated the wedding of heaven and earth, the readiness for fertility, for sowing. On this day, cylindrical Easter cakes were baked, symbolizing masculinity and painted eggs as a symbol male power, and also made round-shaped curd dishes as a symbol feminine. There are other customs associated with the egg. So, our ancestors wrote magical spells and prayers on bird eggs, brought them to pagan temples, and laid them at the feet of idols. East Slavs They dedicated painted eggs to the most formidable deity Perun. The egg was the embodiment of the spring sun, bringing life, joy, warmth, light, the revival of nature, deliverance from the shackles of frost and snow. And the egg also served our ancestors as a symbol of life, because it is in it that the embryo of the rooster is stored - the solar bird that woke up the morning.

Why are eggs painted for Easter? I'll try to answer this question.

The simplest and most logical answer is that during the 40-day fast, the chickens did not stop laying eggs. To prevent eggs from spoiling, people simply boiled them. And in order to know which eggs were boiled and which were not, various natural dyes were added to the water. At the end of Lent, such a quantity of eggs accumulated that it was impossible to eat them, and for this reason people gave eggs as gifts to relatives and neighbors who did not have chickens on their farm. The painted eggs had their own names: those that were the same color were colored, those that were unevenly painted were speckled; and the most beautiful were pysanky - eggs, hand-painted using wax and natural dyes.

The second legend says that after Christ’s ascension into heaven, Saint Mary Magdalene came to the Roman Emperor Tiberius to announce this event. In ancient times, it was customary to make offerings to the emperor during an audience. Rich people brought jewelry, poor people - what they could. Magdalena brought the most ordinary chicken egg and said: “Christ is Risen!” To this Tiberius replied: a person cannot be resurrected and return from the dead, just as a white egg can never turn red. It was at that moment that the egg turned red in front of the emperor’s eyes, and it was from this legend that the tradition of dyeing eggs for Easter began.

According to another legend, the tradition of dyeing eggs dates back to the birth of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. This was in the second century AD. On this day, one of the hens in the household of the imperial court laid an egg with red specks. The emperor's mother considered this a sign, and it was from that time that the Romans began to traditionally paint eggs.

Turning to historical documents, you can find out that the first evidence of the use of eggs for Easter dates back to the 10th century and is written in a manuscript written on parchment. This document is in the library of the Monastery of St. Anastasia (Thessaloniki, Greece). According to the church charter, after prayers on Easter, a prayer was to be read for the blessing of eggs and cheese. The reader, kissing the brothers-monks, distributed eggs to them with the words: “Christ is Risen!” In the 13th century. The abbot could even severely punish a monk if he did not eat a colored egg on Easter.

Personally, this version is closest to me: in the old days, before starting sowing, they went out into the field and sat down with their bare butt on the ground to understand whether the soil had warmed up or not. Only after this did they begin to plant grain. But in some regions there was a bug that had a special pigment in it, and partridges living and nesting in the fields loved to eat this bug. That bug overwintered underground and came to the surface when the last thin crust of ice melted and the earth warmed up. This is where the bug met the partridges, who loved to feast on this same bug before laying eggs and sitting on their eggs. Due to the pigment contained in the bug, ordinary white partridge eggs turned burgundy-brown along with the droppings. It was thanks to partridges that people understood that it was time to start sowing, and in order not to sit with their bare butts on the ground, farmers simply looked into the nests and looked at the color of the eggs. Seeing that the eggs were colored with the pigment of a bug, they took one such egg and went on a visit, where they gave it to the owners from the doorstep beautiful egg, notifying those that the sowing time has come.

In the old days, there were also such fun things as beating and rolling eggs and this was an Easter tradition. For example: two eggs hit each other with both ends. The sharp end was called the toe, the blunt end was called the heel. First they fought with their toes, and then with their heels. If both ends broke, the testicle was counted. The winner took it for himself. The egg, broken at one end, was divided in half. They rolled colored eggs.

For the same purpose, eggs were rolled on the table towards each other. Another fun thing was rolling eggs off the mound. The egg that rolled down had to hit someone lying on the ground, then the player took the egg for himself. If someone’s egg broke when dropped or hit, it was eliminated from the game along with the player. Such fun had deep symbolism: skating meant awakening and welcoming spring. It was from rolling eggs that the Russian game - babki - originated (I will write about it separately in a series of notes on traditional Russian games and amusements).

At first painted eggs(then animal bones oval shape) laid out everything on the line, lining up on the ground in one line. From a certain distance, players threw a linen ball at them. The egg that was knocked out was considered won. The egg was taken by the one who knocked it out.

For such fun it was necessary to choose the strongest eggs. Their strength was tested by knocking them on the teeth. If the sound was dull and the shell was soft, the choice was considered correct for the game. In those days there were also cunning people who sucked out the contents of the egg through holes in the shell, and then carefully poured tree resin into it. Such a thoughtful manipulation, of course, did not allow the egg to beat.

The very first egg donated for Easter had protective properties, and the shell was not thrown away after the egg was eaten, as it was considered healing. An Easter egg was placed behind the goddess and then, if necessary, given to the sick; with its help they extinguished fires, began sowing, and saved livestock from death. This egg was stored until next Easter.

It is customary to paint at Easter eggs in different colors, but among the colorful eggs, the central place belongs to bright red eggs. Why?

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

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his disciples and followers dispersed different countries, everywhere proclaiming the good news that there is no longer any need to fear death. Christ, the Savior of the world, defeated her. He resurrected Himself and will resurrect everyone who believes Him and loves people just as He loved.

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

According to the law, if a poor person had an audience with Caesar, he had to donate at least an egg. So she brought an ordinary egg and, with a story about Christ, handed the egg to the emperor, who laughed and answered her in the spirit that just as this egg cannot turn red, so a dead person 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 Holy Resurrection of Christ, we give each other red-painted eggs 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 there is life hidden from view, which in due course will break out of its 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, so this version is not considered official, but many believers love this very much beautiful story. In their opinion, it is she who explains Why are eggs painted for Easter?.

According to another, less magical version, Mary Magdalene simply brought an ordinary egg as a gift to the emperor. She gave it a gift look by painting it red, and 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 egg coloring on Easter, the fact that the Virgin Mary, entertaining the infant 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 would resurrect, 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 egg dyeing- this is a symbol of people’s faith in the miracle of Christ’s resurrection, 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 dyeing eggs among Christians. Why dye 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.

And in fact, custom of dyeing eggs found in many pre-Christian beliefs, including among the Slavs. Let's try to figure out why, or rather, how they could have developed this tradition. We already know that the egg among the ancient pagans was 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 the eggs in every possible way in order to receive good harvest in the coming year.

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

Some scholars even believe that the legend of Magdalene appeared to justify the Christian church, which began to observe pagan rituals. And even now, some clergy with radical views have a very negative attitude towards this custom and cannot understand why eggs should be painted for Easter. Some of them are even trying to ban this tradition among their parishioners, they say: “For a Christian, observing pagan rituals is a great sin!” -, but this tradition has long become part of the Christian religion and believers rarely take such statements seriously.

Also, some scientists believe that Easter tradition paint eggs has no religious basis at all, and the emergence of this tradition is explained as follows. The fact is that during Lent, people ate a lot of eggs and so that they did not spoil for a long time, they had to be boiled, and they were painted in order to somehow distinguish boiled eggs from raw ones.

Researchers of Easter eggs note that Easter eggs reflect the archaic ideas of the Slavs about the universe, and, apparently, Easter eggs existed among the Slavs before the adoption of Christianity. In early church documents, in particular the Poznań synoidal charter of Andrei Laskarge, who denounced the pagan remnants of the Slavs, it is considered a mortal sin during Easter time “...to give 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 a prototype of the Universe itself. The very shape of the egg - an oval - symbolized a miracle among the Greeks.

The custom of dyeing 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 hens laid an egg marked with red dots. This was interpreted as a sign that a future emperor had been born. Over time, the Romans became accustomed to sending each other colored eggs as congratulations.

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

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

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

The egg - a universal symbol of the creation of the world and creativity - is also mentioned in Indian Vedas(the golden egg from which Brahma hatched). In India all the birds are egg laying, 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 located in a huge egg in which all forms of life were hidden. The fire warmed the shell, giving the egg the warmth of creation. Thanks to this divine fire, it emerged from the egg mythical creature- Panu. Everything weightless became Heaven, and everything dense became earth. Panu connected Heaven with Earth, created wind, space, clouds, thunder, lightning. To heat the emerging earth, Panu gave it the Sun, and to remind it of the cold - the Moon. Thanks to Pan, the Sun warmed the earth, the Moon shone, planets and stars were born.

Since ancient times the egg served as a symbol of the spring sun, bringing with it life, joy, warmth, light, the revival of nature, deliverance from the shackles of frost and snow - in other words, the transition from non-existence to existence. It was once customary to offer an egg as a simple small gift to the pagan gods, to give eggs to friends and benefactors on New Year's Day and on birthdays. Rich, wealthy people often offered gold or gilded eggs, symbolizing the sun, instead of colored chicken eggs. The ancient Romans had a custom of eating a baked egg at the beginning of a festive meal - this was symbolically associated with the successful start of a new business. It is interesting that Russian landowners of the 18th century also started the day with a soft-boiled egg - it was believed that a liquid yolk for breakfast contributed to the good absorption of the rest of the food during the day and “lubricated” the stomach.

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

Piero della Francesca in the altarpiece of Monte Feltro(Milan, Brera, 15th century) depicted an ostrich egg above the Madonna and Child. Here it serves as an additional attribute of the legend of miraculous birth God-man Jesus and points to the world that rests on Christian faith. The Byzantine theologian and philosopher John of Damascus emphasized that heaven and earth are like an egg in everything: the shell is the sky, the chaff is the clouds, the white is water, and the yolk is the earth. From the dead matter of the egg life arises; it contains possibility, idea, movement and development. According to legend, even the dead the egg gives the power 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 miraculous power eggs 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 on Easter - the deceased will hear everything that is said to him, that is, he will, as it were, return to life and to what makes the living person happy or sad.

Orthodox symbolism easter egg its roots go back to 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 rebirth 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 also has its roots in the pre-Christian beliefs of the Slavs, who from ancient times were characterized by the cult of ancestors, the veneration of the immortal souls of the dead, who were considered sacred individuals.

The first written evidence of colored eggs for Holy Easter we find it in a manuscript written on parchment and dating back to the 10th century, from the library of the monastery of St. Anastasia, near Thessaloniki in Greece. At the end of the church charter given in the manuscript, after the prayers for Easter, a prayer was also to be read for the blessing of eggs, cheese, and the abbot, kissing the brethren, was to distribute eggs to them with the words: “Christ is Risen!” According to the manuscript “Nomocanon Photius” (XIII century), the abbot can punish a monk who does not eat a red egg on Easter Day, because he is opposed to the apostolic traditions. Thus, the custom of giving eggs for Easter dates back to apostolic times, when Mary Magdalene was the first to set an example for believers of this joyful gift-giving.

As you can see, there are many scientific assumptions and fictitious legends, each of which does not have a “solid” conclusion, therefore it is impossible to say unambiguously ,

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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.

Christian history of ancient pagan rite 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' in Svetloye Christ's Sunday Since ancient times, Orthodox Christians have exchanged such greetings, kissed Christ three times and given eggs blessed 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 person 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, the white chicken egg turned red right in his hands, confirming good news 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.

Having believed 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 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 causing harm to 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 distinguished by great superstition 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 gold, a symbol of wealth;
• beet - pink color purity and innocence;
• hibiscus, blue cabbage - blue radiance of hope and kindness;
• brilliant green - marble green tint, 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?