Here are some tips to give your family an idea on how to decorate your Easter egg.
Christians across the world today are commemorating Good Friday- a day when Jesus Christ was crucified at Calvary (Golgotha) Despite the Christian beliefs which are quite similar across all Christian cultures, this day is important as a day when families get together. And most importantly when moms work on egg designs with their children.
The tradition of decorating eggs for Easter can be traced way back to the time of Mary Magdalene, who came before the Emperor Tiberius with the words “Christ has risen” and gave him as a gift a decorated egg. Shattering of the egg and broken shells, which are the symbols for chains, represent the beginning of a new life.
The oldest tradition is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs (a tradition that is still very much live in Serbian culture), but in western societies, this custom has been substituted with chocolate eggs.
Here are some photos of chocolate Easter eggs that you might find interesting. These were maid especially for the Art Ival and NDF Auction that took place 12th of April in Belgrade (read more about the auction here).
Eggs in general are a traditional symbol of fertility and rebirth, but for Christians they represent something more: a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave, and that those who believe will also experience eternal life.
Easter tradition in Serbia
In Serbia, on this day, families (mainly women and kids) boil eggs and then color them. The most common color they use is red, which is a symbol of the blood of Christ, but there are also other colors present such as green, yellow, blue, pink and etc. The more colorful the basket, the better it is.
The more creative families paint eggs in real acrylic colors and create small art pieces that they can later display in their homes or give as a gift to others whom they go to visit in the following days.
If you are more of a vintage type of a person, you will certainly love eggs which are colored using the onion and clover leaves. This tradition is quite old. It is usually transferred from one generation to another, but it is still an interesting idea that you can apply in your own egg design.
Here are some tips to give your family an idea on how to decorate your Easter eggs:
1. MARBLE EGGS
Cut the leaves/husks of red or white onion into chunks. Put the egg into the water to make it wet. Then put onion leaves around it (not too many) and wrap the egg in an aluminum foil or a thin nylon sock. Then proceed with putting the egg in a regular saucepan in which you have previously put the color – egg dye (whichever one you choose). It will give the egg very interesting look.
2. DECORATING EGGS WITH RUBBER BANDS FOR JARS
This technique is quite interesting and gives amazing results.
What you should do: on a previously boiled egg, put rubber bands in all directions (be creative). Then put a nylon sock over it and tie it. Then put the egg like that in the egg dye until it reaches the desired color and tone. Wait until the egg is completely dry before you take off rubber bands. That way, where the rubber bands were, that place will stay white and all the other will have the color you have chosen for that egg. The end result should look something like this
3. VINTAGE (traditional)
If you want a natural color of the eggs obtained from the husks of black or red onion, beetroot, walnut leaf, this is what you should do:
Garnish eggs with plants that have ornamental look such as parsley, clover leaves, ferns. Then put the eggs in nylon sock to have the leaf stick to it. Put eggs in a saucepan, add onion husks and water and boil. This should be your end result.
4. DECORATING EASTER EGGS WITH GRITS
This type of decoration is recommended for a small amount of eggs, because no matter how carefully you secure the grits or polenta, it will start crumbling. We recommend that you use this as a decoration only for a few eggs in your Easter basket (not all of them).
For this technique you need a small amount of polenta or grits and egg whites for bonding. The procedure is quite simple: on a previously colored egg you apply egg white (you can apply it to the whole surface of the egg or just a section) and then you quickly roll it in palenta or grits. It should look like this.
5. DECORATING EGGS IN ACRYLIC PAINT
There are no instructions on how to do this. Just let your creativity flow and imagine the egg is the canvas on which you will paint most amazing shapes.
Here are some examples of eggs painted in acrylics we thought looked nice:
Oh, and when you are done, don’t forget to apply (vegetable) oil over all decorated eggs (except over the ones decorated with grits or polenta). You want to give them shine they deserve for the beautiful Easter basket.
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!! Hristos Voskrese (in Serbian)!
