Easter eggs can be very different. Some are bigger, some smaller, there are eggs painted with paint or decorated with other materials, others are made from chocolate. In the following we will have a look at the history and decoration of Easter eggs.
During Lent, Christians remember the time when Jesus fasted in the desert. Eggs were not allowed to be eaten and through that they became very precious. So, on Easter Sunday it was special to have an egg and this was carried over to today. Traditionally in Christianity, Easter eggs were symbols of resurrection and they represented the empty tomb of Jesus. The eggs were also sometimes coloured red in memory of the blood of Jesus. According to many sources the custom of Easter eggs came from the early Christians of Mesopotamia and then spread into Eastern Europe, Siberia and later also Europe.
These are some of the reasons that link to the existence of Easter eggs but there are many more.
The practice of decorating eggs is quite ancient and different regions and people have different techniques. A few of them are listed in the following.
In eastern European countries as Poland, Romania, and Ukraine people traditionally use an old technique called Pysanka. In this method the Easter eggs are dyed with darker and darker colours over time and when they are finished with a part of the egg the surface is covered with a bit of wax. This is to serve that the finished colours can only been seen in the end when the wax layer is removed again. The Easter eggs surface is divided in squares using different shapes including lines and triangles.
In the Slavic parts of Europe, the Easter eggs are distinguished by their artistic and elaborate look. The following colours being used in specific regions all have a meaning. For example, yellow stands for the desire for enlightenment and wisdom, green stand for youth and innocence, orange stands for perseverance and ambition, red is a sign of the sacrificial death of Christ and white is a symbol of purity. The Serbians not only give away their Easter eggs on Easter but also on other personal feast days as baptism, First Communion and weddings to symbolise their wishes for the people involved.
Here are the steps for decorating your own eggs:
First you must blow out your eggs.
Then you can apply the paint on the surface including acrylic, watercolor, puff paint, and even spray paint.
Get creative!