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How eggs are dyed for Easter - what color and why. Why Easter eggs are red: biblical legend

It is almost two thousand years old. It is no longer possible to determine for certain why the decoration became so common in the Christian world. There are many legends that explain. Far from all interpretations are related directly to the Resurrection of Christ and to Christianity in general. Most of them belong to pagan times, when the egg was considered a symbol of fertility. With the advent of spring, in ancient times, they began to paint eggs, decorate them in all sorts of ways in order to appease the gods and grow a good harvest.

But there are many Christian traditions that tell about the beginning of this centuries-old tradition. The most common is the legend of Mary Magdalene, who brought the emperor Tiberius after the resurrection of Jesus a chicken egg. He did not believe her story about the Resurrection, saying that such a thing would become possible if the brought egg turned red. This was immediately fulfilled, and red has since become the traditional color for decorating Easter eggs.

According to another legend, the red Easter eggs are the blood of the crucified Christ, and the beautiful patterns on them are the tears of the Mother of God. After the death of the Lord, believers kept every drop of his blood that fell, which became hard as a stone. When he was resurrected, they began to pass them to each other with the joyful news "Christ is risen!"

The third version tells about the childhood of Jesus Christ, who was very fond of playing with chickens. The Mother of God painted their eggs and gave him instead of toys. With a plea for mercy, she came to her with an offering of painted eggs. But they fell out of her apron and spread all over the world.

There are legends, and not at all related to religion. So, for example, one of them tells that on the birthday of Marcus Aurelius, a chicken laid an egg with red spots. This event was an omen of the birth of the future emperor. Since then, the Romans have developed the custom of painting eggs and sending them to each other as gifts. Christians adopted this tradition, putting their own meaning into it.

There is also a more practical explanation. During Lent it is forbidden to eat animal food, including eggs. But the chickens keep laying. To keep the eggs from spoiling longer, they were boiled. And to distinguish boiled eggs from raw, they were dyed.

Whatever it was, but the tradition of painting eggs has come down to our days, gathering the whole family for this activity. Many customs, rituals and beliefs among Christians are associated with already painted eggs. Even mystical properties were attributed to the consecrated Easter egg. It was believed that it could put out a fire, prevent diseases of cattle and make their hair smooth, return a loved one, save them from theft, drive them out of the house. Having dipped dye into the water, the girls washed themselves with this water to preserve their youth and beauty. Easter egg shells were scattered across the field so that the harvest would be good.

It is unlikely that anyone will be able to accurately prove or refute the miraculous power of Easter eggs, but some traditions of antiquity have come down to us. Until now, children's favorite pastime during the Easter week is rolling painted eggs down a hill. The Easter meal begins with them, and friends and acquaintances are given the most beautiful eggs with the good news "Christ is risen!"

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

There are many versions and explanations - from a beautiful legend to 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 is rooted in antiquity. The first mention of painted 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 abbot distributed consecrated eggs to the brethren with the words: "Christ is Risen!"

But the answer to the question of when and why they began to dye eggs is still shrouded in a veil of secrecy.

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

And as soon as the last word left his lips, a miracle happened - the chicken egg brought by Mary became completely red. The red color 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 consecrated Easter egg should be the first meal after a 40-day fast. Therefore, one of the simple and vital explanations also has the right to exist.

In particular, believers limit themselves to food during fasting and do not consume meat and dairy products. This fact did not affect the hens, and out of habit they continued to lay eggs. To save 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 painting eggs for Easter is associated with the pre-Christian celebration of spring. For many nations, the egg was the personification of life-giving power, therefore, in the customs and beliefs of the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, the egg was a symbol of birth and rebirth.

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

Initially, the color was only red, symbolizing the blood of Christ. And the most common dyes for coloring eggs, of course, were readily available such as onion peel, cherry bark, beets, and so on.

In Georgia, eggs have long been dyed with the roots of the medicinal plant Rubia tinctorum, which the common people call "endro".

Over time, eggs began to be dyed in other colors, using natural or food dyes. And chicken eggs began to be replaced with 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 matters: red is a regal color, reminiscent of God's love for the human race, and blue is the color of the Blessed 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, means prosperity and rebirth.

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

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

It is difficult to imagine the main Christian holiday without painted eggs. Eggs begin to be painted on Holy Week, they are carried to church, they are treated to relatives and friends, and a festive feast begins with them. From year to year, we decorate eggs for Easter, often without even thinking about the meaning of this tradition. Meanwhile, a number of questions may arise, for example, why eggs are dyed at Easter and why red eggs are still especially distinguished. The tradition of decorating eggs has a long history, full of legends, so all these questions cannot be answered unambiguously.

Like many traditions that have survived to this day, according to one version, decorating eggs for Easter has its roots in the pre-Christian era. As you know, the date of the celebration of Easter changes every year and depends on the lunisolar calendar, but each time this holiday falls in the spring. In pre-Christian times, there were many ceremonies and rituals associated with the arrival of spring, and with the spread of Christianity, some of them began to include the Easter holiday. Since the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, as well as the arrival of spring, symbolizes a new life, then, answering the question of why eggs are painted on Easter, it is worth turning to Ancient Egypt and Persia. Even the ancient Egyptians and Persians during their spring holidays painted chicken eggs. Even then, the egg was considered a symbol of fertility and new life, with the advent of Christianity, the egg became not only a symbol of new life, but also of resurrection.

There is another answer to the question why eggs are painted on Easter, it sends us back to Ancient Rome. The Romans associated the ritual of dyeing eggs with the name of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, more precisely with his birth in 121 AD. On the day of this event, in a chicken coop that belonged to the family of the future emperor, a hen laid an egg, completely covered with bright red dots. This extraordinary event was interpreted as a symbol of a happy omen and a sign of a bright future for the newborn. Since then, a tradition has appeared in Rome in honor of the holiday to give each other colored eggs. Christians, having adopted the tradition, put a different meaning into it, it is believed that the red color of the egg symbolizes the blood of Christ.

However, the church does not agree with previous theories. According to the biblical version, the first Easter egg was presented by Mary Magdalene to Emperor Tiberius. But why is it customary to paint eggs at Easter? After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his disciples informed the believers about this joyful event, then Mary Magdalene went with this message to the Roman emperor Tiberius. However, it was not accepted to come to the emperor without gifts, and even the poor had to present at least an egg as a gift to Tiberius. Mary Magdalene did the same, but she chose the egg as a gift not by chance, it has a special meaning. Beneath the dead eggshell lies a life hidden from everyone, which will break free along with the hatched chicken. And when Mary told Tiberius that Christ had similarly escaped from the shackles of death and resurrected, the emperor did not believe it, arguing that it was as impossible as your white egg to turn red. And at that moment, a miracle happened before everyone's eyes - the egg in the emperor's hand turned red, and the amazed Tiberius exclaimed "Truly risen!" Since then, believers on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ give each other colored eggs with the words “Christ is risen!”, And the one who accepts the gift answers “Truly risen!”.

With these versions, the answer to the question of why eggs are painted on Easter is not exhausted. Another legend tells about the Jews who gathered for a meal after the execution of Jesus Christ, they were served fried chicken and boiled eggs. One of them mentioned that in 3 days Jesus would be resurrected, the other laughed, saying that this fried chicken would soon come to life and the eggs would turn red. And at that moment, that is exactly what happened. Since then, eggs have been dyed at Easter to commemorate this event. There is another legend that says that the Mother of God herself painted the eggs in order to use them as toys for the baby Christ.

There is a simpler and more logical answer to the question of why eggs are painted on Easter. As you know, during Great Lent, which ends with the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, the use of any products of animal origin, including chicken eggs, is prohibited. And everything would be much easier if the chickens could explain this, and for the duration of the fast they would stop laying eggs. However, chickens are still unaware of all sorts of restrictions and continue to rush even during Lent. In order not to throw away a valuable product, the peasants prepared eggs for future use and, in order to distinguish early batches from fresher ones, they were dyed. And with the onset of the Easter holiday, they gave painted eggs to loved ones, took them to church and ate them themselves.

As you can see from all these legends, which you can believe in or not, the tradition of dyeing eggs originated a long time ago. Until now, every year on the eve of the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, Christians around the world paint eggs, turning them into real works of art.

Alena Karamzina

Today it is impossible to imagine a bright Easter holiday without traditional Easter cakes with sweet powder and colored eggs. It is they who must be consecrated in the church and be the first to taste, and break the fast after Great and strict Lent.

But few people know where the tradition of painting eggs for Easter came from and why they chose this particular product among many other options. Today, instead of traditional painted eggs, you can see them in special stickers that children love very much. After all, the egg from all sides is in pictures that the child likes to look at for a long time. It would be nice to tell your child where the tradition of dyeing and sanctifying eggs came from, and to find out about it yourself.

Easter traditions: why did you choose an egg?

There are a huge number of opinions about when they started painting eggs for Easter and who introduced this custom. Among them there are both Christian versions, and pagan and even quite everyday ones. For example, in ancient times, so that eggs would 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 dyed in onion peel, or any other natural dye. After that, 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 tell 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 the words of Mary, the emperor only burst out laughing and said that it was easier for this egg to turn red than for Christ to break out of the shackles of death. As soon as he said these words, the egg immediately turned red, so people began to paint the eggs red, which is interpreted as a sign and proof that Christ conquered death.

There is also a tradition that speaks of the Jews gathered for a meal after the execution of Jesus Christ. At the table, one of the Jews reminded the companions 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 live.

The third version says that even in infancy, Christ played with such eggs, which the Virgin Mary herself painted as toys for him.

The Easter egg in Russia has always had great meaning, since life was born in it. After consecration, it was laid out on overgrown oats, wheat or lettuce, which were grown specifically for this. Throughout the Easter week (week), it was customary to give such eggs to each other, go to visit with them and put them on the festive table.

The consecrated eggs were kept for a whole year, until the 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 is indeed Risen!

Why are Easter eggs painted red and how to do it?

There are a large number of ways to color eggs, both artificial dyes and natural ones. Eggs that had a color in one color were called eggs or galunks. In order to give the egg a natural red tint, you must use the peeled onion husk, with which our grandmothers also dyed eggs. To get 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 the egg a variety of colors. But do not get too carried away with them, because all artificial colors can not in the best way affect the well-being of your loved ones, especially children. If you want to spice up your Easter basket in some way, 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 red boiled 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 painting the eggs red, we seem to honor his memory.

To give the egg a traditional red color, you need to take the onion peel of 5-6 large or medium onions, place it in a container with water and boil it together with the eggs for 7-8 minutes. The onion peel will not only give a beautiful red tint to the eggs, evenly covering them from all sides, but will also strengthen the shell. That is why, when dyeing eggs with natural dyes, you rarely see cracked shells or leaking protein.

To give the egg a different shade, such as purple, make a beetroot decoction.

It is necessary to grind the beets (you can cut them into cubes), place them in a container with water and put raw eggs there 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 red. We do everything in the same way 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?

For the bright holiday of Easter, housewives always prepare in advance. General cleaning is carried out in the house, all the accumulated rubbish for the year is thrown away, 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, some special joyful and bright spirit is always felt, which kindles the eyes of people 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 yourself with the first rays of the rising sun, bake Easter cakes and paint eggs. On Good Friday, Orthodox Christians abstained from food, fervently prayed to the Lord and did not do any housework, devoting all their free time to prayer.

After the consecration of Easter, the first thing they did when they came home was a festive meal. People broke the fast with the consecrated Easter cake and an egg. There is such a game when people took eggs and beat them against each other. Whoever kept the egg intact could count on a good year. Such games remain especially popular among children.

As you prepare for the Easter holiday, remember that your thoughts must remain pure and joyful.. It is necessary to think not only about the festive table, but also take care of your soul and pray again for yourself and your loved ones. After all, everyone is rewarded according to his faith.

Christ is risen!

How to color eggs for Easter

Easter History and Traditions

Why are Easter eggs red? The answer to this question lies in the Easter tradition itself, in which the egg acts as one of the main symbols of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. According to legend, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, during her sermon in Rome, presented the emperor Tiberius with a chicken egg, while exclaiming: “Christ is Risen!”

In response, the Roman emperor objected that it would be more likely for this hen's egg to 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 the miracle happened. Before the eyes of many people, the chicken egg presented by Magdalene turned red.

So red eggs for Easter according to the Bible, or rather, already according to the New Testament, have firmly entered the tradition of celebrating and have become, along with Easter cake, the main attribute of the holiday. Christians around the world began to color eggs primarily in red and other colors. There is an analogy here: a chicken egg symbolizes the birth of a new life. Christ the Savior, by 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 dyed red at Easter.

The second important meaning of the red egg on the Bright Resurrection of Christ is the royal dignity of Jesus Christ. In the East, red was associated with royalty.

Until now, it is difficult to imagine Easter without eggs painted in different colors. Consecrated in the temple early in the morning on Easter, along with Easter cake and other products, eggs are the first product that breaks the fast after a long and, without exaggeration, difficult Great Lent, preceding the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

However, there is another legend about a red egg for Easter, which sends us to Ancient Rome to the emperor Marcus Aurelius. An incident is described that occurred in 121 AD. The household of the family of the future emperor (who at that time was a small child) contained a huge chicken coop. One day, workers found an egg laid by a hen 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, a tradition has been born on the territory of the empire to give each other painted eggs. With the birth of Jesus Christ, and later with the fulfillment of his great mission, colored eggs (especially red) acquired the symbolism of the blood of the Savior 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 mankind took place with the advent of Jesus Christ, it was customary to arrange tombs in caves, the entrance to which was blocked by stones, after the deceased was left there. The stone with which they 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.

In various sources, another interesting case is described related to the chicken egg and the death and subsequent resurrection of Christ. A group of Jews gathered after the execution of Jesus at a meal. Among the dishes on the table were fried chicken and boiled chicken eggs. One of those present remembered the promise of Jesus Christ to give his life on the cross, and then rise on the third day, to which his interlocutors replied that the fried chicken would soon come to life, and the white eggs would turn red. In the next moment, the eggs really turned red.

P.S. According to another legend, it is believed that the Mother of God herself in her childhood colored chicken eggs to please the little Savior. A painted chicken egg for Easter reminds us of the great gift of Jesus Christ, presented to every believer.