Why do we paint eggs for Easter. Why eggs are painted on Easter: history and tradition. Dyeing eggs with onion skins

Easter is the most important and anticipated holiday in the Christian world. Even atheists are to some extent expecting it, because with Easter, real spring begins. For Christians, this holiday reflects the whole essence of faith - Christ was crucified for the sins of people and rose again on the third day. This is Easter - the Resurrection of Christ. For some Orthodox Christians, the tradition of painting eggs for Easter is important, but is it really necessary to do this? Where does this custom originate in general?

History of Easter attributes

Passover, or Passover, was originally a purely Jewish holiday.

When the Lord freed the Jews from the Egyptian captivity, He ordered each family to slaughter a lamb and anoint it with blood on the doorposts of the doors and the spirit of death that the Almighty sent to pass by this house. Egyptian families did not do this in every family, the Almighty took the firstborn.

Where does the tradition of dyeing eggs for Easter originate? To answer this question, one should turn to historical sources, because the first mentions of this can be found in the manuscripts of the 10th century, kept in the monastery of St. Anastasia in Greece.

The manuscript records the charter of the church of that time regarding the celebration of Easter and indicates a prayer for the blessing of cheese and eggs. It is also written there that the abbot, welcoming the brothers, distributed them and said: "Christ is Risen!" In another manuscript of the 13th century, it is written that the abbot can punish the monk who does not eat the red dye on Easter, since this is a contradiction to the apostolic tradition.

For reference! In Russia, this tradition has been known for a long time. In addition to chicken, there is a whole culture of painting wooden, pewter and bone dyes.

Painted eggs

Pagan traditions

Sometimes you can come across the opinion that the tradition of baking cakes has pagan roots and is associated with the masculine principle of the ancient gods. Orthodox Christians should know that such theories are nothing more than attempts by sectarian groups and pagan organizations to discredit the celebration of Easter and the Christian faith in general, to give them a godly meaning.

Christian traditions

Making Easter cakes and dyes for Easter is a pious Orthodox tradition. It is optional, but following it brings a special triumph to the greatest holiday of the entire Christian world.

There are several theories about dyes as a symbol of Easter:

1. This is a symbol of an empty tomb: red paint symbolizes an empty tomb and the risen Christ. The shell in this case is the stone of the tomb, doused with His blood. Those. the red egg became a symbol of an empty tomb and Christ who died for us.
2. Miracle of God: There is a legend of a miracle that God performed before the emperor Tiberius. According to legend, Mary Magdalene got to the reception of the emperor Tiberius and gave him eggs, saying: "Christ is Risen!" The emperor refused to believe it and said: "It is impossible just like the fact that a white shell can turn scarlet!" and at the same moment the white shell miraculously became scarlet.
3. When Christianity began to spread in Russia, and throughout Europe, the pagans very stubbornly held on to their pagan traditions and the theologians of that time decided not to take the traditions away from them, but to modernize their meaning and replace it with a Christian one. Thus, the feast of Easter came to the pagans, and the Church Fathers allowed them to bring dyes to the temples.

As for the tradition of baking Easter cakes, it finds its roots in the liturgical rite. At the solemn service in honor of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, a special bread is consecrated - artos - which stands in the church throughout the entire Bright Week, it is worn during processions of the cross. At the end of the week, this bread is divided into parts and distributed to the parishioners, who keep and eat it all year, until next Easter, as a shrine.

Since the family in Orthodoxy is considered a small Church, a tradition has emerged to make their own, family Easter bread. Everyone's favorite cakes became them. Sure, homemade baking is not such a shrine as artos, but, undoubtedly, has become an integral part of the celebration of Easter.

As you can see, Easter cakes owe their origin not at all to pagan cults, but to the peculiarities of the divine service on Easter.

Curd paste, which is made from homemade fat cottage cheese and eggs, also has a symbolic meaning. It is made in a special cone-shaped shape and symbolizes the Holy Sepulcher, in which He stayed until His Resurrection. On the sides of the curd bean are extruded letters ХВ, meaning the Easter greeting "Christ is Risen!", As well as a cross, spears, and sometimes flowers that characterize the suffering of Christ and His subsequent resurrection.

About Easter cuisine:

Easter cake

Why cook dyes for Easter today

Bringing dyes to churches for Easter, Christians should understand that this is only a folk tradition, which is completely optional for execution. There is no sin in eating a boiled egg with a multi-colored shell, but you shouldn't pay more attention to dyed girls than to Christ.

Man can be saved only through the Blood of Jesus Christ, but not through food.

Painting eggs, baking cakes - all these are folk customs and a person who wants to celebrate Easter is not at all obliged to do this. But this is not a sin.

The main thing on this holiday is to cleanse your heart and accept Christ as the Savior of the soul, accepting His death. We must believe with all our hearts that Christ died for every person and was resurrected on the third day. It is His Blood that washes us from sins and enables us to have a personal relationship with the Lord.

Why red is important

Red has always been a symbol of kings, power and blood. Jesus Christ is our King, He has all authority on earth and His blood was shed for us. Thus, red dyes symbolize His blood, His royal power and power over the whole earth.

Many legends and legends about dyes indicate that their color was scarlet, so it dominates Easter eggs.

Watch the video about colored eggs

Last update - 16.02.2015

On Easter, which falls on April 12 in 2015, it is customary to consecrate in the church and give each other colored chicken eggs. Where did this tradition come from?

What does the Easter egg represent?

In Christianity, the Easter egg is a symbol of the Holy Sepulcher, in which eternal life was hidden.

In Palestine, tombs were arranged in caves, and the entrance was closed with a stone, which was rolled away when the deceased was to be laid.

Tradition says that the stone with which the tomb of Jesus Christ was closed resembled an egg in outline. We know that new life is hiding under the shell of an egg. Therefore, for Christians, the Easter egg is a reminder of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, of salvation and eternal life. The red color in which eggs are most often painted means the suffering and blood of Christ.

Where did the tradition of painting eggs come from?

The first mention of colored eggs is found in a 10th century manuscript found in the library of the Greek monastery of St. Anastasia. According to the manuscript, after the Easter service, the hegumen handed out consecrated eggs to the brethren with the words: "Christ is Risen!"

There are several versions of the origin of the tradition of painting eggs for Easter.

According to legend, the painted egg became a symbol of Easter after the miracle with Mary Magdalene. Orthodox Church venerates her as an equal to the apostles saint and myrrh-bearer who preached about the risen Christ in Rome before the arrival of the Apostle Paul there and two more years after his departure from Rome, after the first trial over him.

Mary Magdalene came with a sermon to the Roman emperor Tiberius (14-37 years). According to ancient custom, gifts were brought to the emperor, and Magdalene brought an egg with the words: "Christ is Risen!"

The emperor replied that, just as the egg is white, not red, the dead do not rise. At the same instant, the egg in his hand turned red.

Pliny the Elder wrote that the Romans used dyed eggs in games, temple rituals and rituals. The Romans also had the custom of eating a baked egg at the beginning of a festive meal, which meant a successful start of a new business. Plutarch explained these traditions by the fact that the egg is like the sun, which revives and revives everything.

It is also assumed that the custom of dyeing eggs is associated with the birth of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius: on that day, one of his mother's chickens laid an egg with red dots, which was interpreted as a happy omen. Since 224, it has become a custom for the Romans to send painted eggs as a congratulation to each other.

There is an assumption that the custom of painting eggs for Easter is associated with the pre-Christian celebration of spring. For many peoples, the egg was the personification of life-giving power. The whole universe seemed to come out of the egg. In the beliefs and customs of the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, the egg was a symbol of birth and rebirth.

How did the Orthodox paint eggs in ancient times?

In Russia, many methods of dyeing eggs were known.

Easter eggs painted in one color, without a pattern, were called dyes (or dumplings). Usually, for the preparation of dyes, natural dyes were used, primarily onion peels, which made it possible to obtain a rich terracotta color and yellow of varying intensity. You can get other colors with the help of strong herbal decoctions.

The eggs painted with a special ornament were called Easter eggs. Easter eggs were painted only raw, and they were not suitable for food. After Trinity, it was customary to blow them out. A painted egg was turned into a bird by gluing wings to the shell.

In most countries women and girls paint and paint eggs. In the Balkans, even Muslims themselves painted eggs, and willingly accepted them for Easter as a gift from Christians. As a rule, one of the days of Holy Week is devoted to dyeing eggs; in Russia it is Maundy Thursday, Good Friday or Saturday, which because of this was called "Krasilnaya" or "Red".

It is also customary for Catholics to paint and give eggs for Easter. In the Catholic tradition, it is customary to give not only painted chicken eggs, but also chocolate ones.

Thanks to the custom of keeping Easter painted eggs until next Easter, they began to be made of wood, and later - from porcelain, silver, gold, and precious stones.

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, new lifefree from sorrow 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 typical 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, good 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 a greeting, 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. The 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 have arisen 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!", - in response, the ruler of Rome objected that dead man it is impossible to become alive again.

Immediately after these words, the white hen's 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 feast 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.

Egg Trader's Nobility

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

The cross that 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 were 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, along with other brothers, walked around Judea and told about their faith. In one city evil people 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 companions. Then the abandoned ceased to persecute "heretics" and humbly accepted Christianity.

Why were eggs painted only red before?

There are many legends, stories and legends introducing where the tradition of painting eggs came from. 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 their eggs 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 at 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 - pink color purity and innocence;
• hibiscus, blue cabbage - blue glow of hope and kindness;
• brilliant green - a marbled green shade, symbolizing rebirth.

Before Easter, a huge selection of artificial colors, stickers, transfers appears on sale, but natural colors 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 storage period, 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 come about?

One of the most interesting questions about Easter is why eggs should be painted on this particular day. On the one hand, a lot of people know the famous legend about Mary Magdalene and the reddened egg.

However, it is important to note that the egg was generally a symbol of life among many peoples. In fact, this is one large cell from which a new organism grows. And the tradition of painting eggs for Easter is a symbol of rebirth, a source of new life that the Savior brought.

Miracle with the red egg: as the story goes

In short, the story of the tradition of dyeing eggs is associated with Mary Magdalene and Emperor Tiberius.

From the beginning, not only men but also women took part in Jesus' ministry. It is known that Christ repeatedly visited his old acquaintances - Mary and Martha. And once he even raised from the dead their late brother Lazarus. And another Mary, nicknamed Magdalene, was once healed by the Savior from a serious mental illness. Since then, the woman has followed him everywhere and accepted active participation in service.

Moreover, Mary Magdalene witnessed the death of Jesus. And most importantly, she was the first person to testify that Christ was resurrected. With this good news, she quickly addressed the students and everyone else in the area.

Legend has it that the woman rushed to inform the then Roman emperor Tiberius of this. Obviously, she was not rich, but still it was necessary to come to the ruler not empty-handed. And Mary brought an ordinary chicken egg as a gift and said: "Christ is risen!"

Tiberius looked at her with indifference, took the gift and said: "Just as an egg cannot turn red, so the dead cannot become alive." And then the shell instantly turned into that very bright red color, from which the amazed emperor exclaimed: "Indeed he has risen!"

Why eggs are painted for Easter: another version

This beautiful story, however, has deeper roots. It is no secret that the egg was a symbol of life among many peoples. For example, ancient people believed that the universe originated from an egg. And even in Russians folk tales the belief that the life of the fabulous Koshchei is at the tip of a needle that lies in an egg has been preserved.

By the way, the tradition of shell dyeing is possibly connected with pre-Christian times. Almost all the peoples of the earth once widely celebrated the onset of spring, and on this occasion the whole district gathered - in villages or cities.

Of course, it was customary to bring whoever could, and among the products there were certainly eggs - chicken, quail, goose and you never know what else. Perhaps, in honor of the meeting of spring, people started the tradition of dyeing eggs.

In any case, it is reliably known that at the beginning of the 3rd century AD, the ancient Romans adopted a similar tradition. The fact is that in 224 the future ruler Marcus Aurelius was born in the empire. And on the same day, a chicken that belonged to his mother laid an egg, but not a simple one and not a golden one, but with red specks.

The whole nation took this as a very good sign - a signal of fate itself. Therefore, from that time on, the Romans began to send each other colored eggs during congratulations on any special dates.

Why eggs are painted for Easter today: the priest's answer

Why do we need to do this today? The answer is obvious, and a lot has already been written about this (including Wikipedia) - this is a continuation of the good old tradition. However, this is not the only point. Dyed egg Is a very beautiful decor element that enlivens the table and really brings a pleasant spring touch to the overall picture.

It is also a great opportunity to get together with the whole family, to please children with a beautiful and joyful activity. They also give out dyes for Easter as gifts.

However, even such an explanation would not be complete. It is important to understand that on the Easter table, each dish has not only its place, but also a kind of symbolic meaning. The egg itself is a symbol of a new life, and if you also paint it, it is a great reason to remember the miracle that happened almost 2000 years ago.

Representatives of the Orthodox Church give similar comments.

The tradition of painting eggs for Easter is without exaggeration one of the most ancient. Even christmas tree in Russia they began to put on a little more than 3 centuries ago - from the time of Peter the Great.

Interestingly, dyeing has really become a real art. Even at home, we try not only to immerse the egg in the solution, but also at least decorate the shell with a sticker, and maybe make a beautiful pattern.

And if we consider that almost half of the inhabitants of the Earth paint eggs on Easter, then we can say that there is an excellent opportunity to join not only the ancient tradition, but also to a massive festive event around the world! The more joyful it will be to celebrate the bright holiday of Easter.

Christ is risen!

On Easter, which in 2019 falls on April 28, it is customary to consecrate in the temple and give each other colored chicken eggs.

Where did this tradition come from and how to paint them?

There are several versions on this score. And one of them is associated with Mary Magdalene, who preached about the resurrected Jesus in Rome before Paul's arrival.

She came with a sermon to the Roman emperor Tiberius. As a gift, Mary presented an egg with the words "Christ is Risen!" To which the emperor replied that just as the egg is white, not red, the dead are not raised. After this phrase, the egg immediately turned red.

There is one more hypothesis, but it is already connected with the birth of Marcus Aurelius. On that day, a hen belonging to his mother laid an egg with red dots. This was taken as a good sign. And therefore, since 224, the Romans began to send colored eggs to each other.

Although reliably and unknownwhy do they paint eggs on Easter, but without this tradition it is difficult to imagine a spring celebration.

How can you paint eggs?

You can use vegetables, fruits, spices, spices. Anything that has a coloring property.

But, no matter which option you choose, you need to remember a few rules:

1. Before staining, the eggs must be removed from the refrigerator and held for two hours at room temperature. So, they definitely won't burst.
2. The more paint, the brighter the color.
3. Place berries, onion skins and other dyes on the bottom and eggs on top.
4. When boiling eggs, add two tablespoons of salt. She will not let them crack.
5. Eggs should be washed well before coloring. You can even use a dish sponge. This will make the paint smoother.

We paint eggs for Easter with onion peels

Dyeing eggs onion peel - the traditional way to achieve a bright burgundy hue.

We will need:

• eggs (both yellow and white will do);
• a lot of husk;
• salt;
• vegetable oil;
• water.

Having prepared all the materials, we take a large saucepan, pour the onion peel into it and fill it with water. We put on low heat and cook for 45 minutes to get a dark paint.

When the onion skins are ready, put the eggs and boil for about 10 minutes. Throughout the entire time, they need to be turned over so that the paint lies evenly. We transfer the finished eggs to cold water, let them cool and wipe dry.

If desired, you can rub them with vegetable oil for shine.

Food colorings

Food colors can help you achieve vibrant, rich color in minutes. And for this you need a minimum of materials:

• boiled eggs;
• food coloring of any color;
• bite 6%;
• water.

How to paint eggs for Easter:

1. Boiled eggs you need to cool and wipe dry.
2. Dissolve one sachet of dye in 200 ml of water.
3. Add one tablespoon of vinegar to the paint.
4. Dip one egg into the container, so that it is completely in the water.
5. Wait three minutes.
6. Remove the egg onto a paper towel and dry completely.

This is how simple and importantly you can quickly prepare eggs for decorating the table.

Vegetable juice

You will get beautiful and bright colors if you use vegetable juice to paint the eggs. The advantage of this method is its naturalness, which means safety for health.

For blue you need to take two heads of red cabbage and chop finely. Then soak in 500 ml of warm water with the addition of 6 tbsp. tablespoons of white vinegar. For the eggs to acquire a deep blue color, they must be left in the juice overnight. Then put on paper towels and let dry.

Hot pink color can be obtained from beet juice or cranberry juice. And for this method, it is better to use white eggs.

Color eggs in green parsley or spinach will help. We put everything in a saucepan and let it boil a little. Add a spoonful of baking soda for a beautiful purple color.

In yellow eggs will color if boiled with orange or lemon juice. For the best effect, add some zest.

Is it possible to paint eggs in a more original way?

Every hostess wants to stand out and decorate her festive table with beautiful Easter eggs. To do this, you can add various patterns to plain eggs.

And, if not everyone can draw beautifully, then the options below are within the power of everyone.

We use the rope

To create a "riot of colors" you need raw eggs (preferably white) and multi-colored floss threads.

Getting started:

• we wind the floss on the egg in random order;
• boil in the traditional way;
• remove the threads and admire the result.

Due to exposure to high temperatures, the threads begin to shed, and the paint is imprinted on the eggshell.

Marble effect

It is very easy to get the marbled effect. First you need to paint all the eggs in a light color. Here everything is done, as usual, the dye is diluted, the egg is dipped, taken out, dries.

But the second stage is more interesting. The first step is to dilute the darker dye and add a spoonful of vegetable oil to it. We mix everything thoroughly, but do not whisk, this is important.

Now carefully dip the egg into the dye and quickly take it out. Due to the heterogeneity of the paint, an interesting marble effect is obtained.

Salt and effect of quail eggs

Want to surprise your guests? Then we suggest you create the effect of quail eggs. To do this, boil the onion peel. Place the chicken egg in a stocking and add coarse salt to it. Quickly dip the egg into the paint so that it has time to grab, but the salt does not dissolve.

Carefully take out the egg and let it dry well. And to make it look more festive, you can rub it with vegetable oil.

other methods

Original eggs will be obtained if you use ordinary leaves and flowers.

They are painted like this:

1. The leaf is tightly fixed on the egg with a nylon stocking.
2. We paint in onion skins in the standard way.
3. After the stockings are removed together with the stencil, a beautiful impression remains on the egg.

In the same way, you can make specks on the shell. But then rice or millet is taken instead of leaves.

How else to decorate eggs?

To decorate eggs, you can take special thermal stickers. Their peculiarity is the variety of patterns and ease of use. But their main drawback is the difficulty in removing, since this is a film that fits snugly to the egg. The only way to get rid of it is to cut the sticker, which is not always convenient.

A method that has no disadvantages is to decorate with sprinkles, the one that decorates the cake. To keep it well, you need to dip the egg in the egg white, and then lower it in a saucer with sprinkles and roll it out well. You will get an original decoration that will definitely not be ignored.

Conclusion

The modern hostess is offered many ways to paint eggs for Easter. The main thing in this business is not to rush anywhere, so that the result is really worthy. We hope that our tips were useful and you could find original ways to paint eggs for the holiday.