Easter Eggs

Traditionally the egg was a symbol of new life, and in ancient times the eggs given at Easter were hard-boiled and dyed. The tradition of egg dyeing goes back thousands of years when the Egyptians would exchange dyed eggs, the ancient Christians also gave dyed eggs to family and friends at Easter time. In modern times, chocolate eggs have become the main thing that we give.

You do not have to buy expensive Easter Eggs—painting and decorating actual eggs is great fun. Here are some ideas

Egg Painting

Hard boil some ordinary eggs and then get everyone in the family to paint one. In fact, get everyone in your street to do one and then hold a competition with classes for dads, mums, grans, and then age related children’s classes. Even Teenagers can be persuaded to join in if the task is right –they could have a class for Most Gruesome Egg! It is a good way to get people in a neighbourhood together for some fun that does not cost much. You could give certificates or small prizes if your funds can stretch to it.

Of course, some people go mad and turn it into an excuse for a party—and why not!!

You can have a theme, and supply glue, glitter, bits of card - as well as paints, ribbon - whatever bits and pieces you have at hand. Here are some ideas:

• Pirates
• Easter Characters
• Nursery Rhyme characters
• Animals

Egg Dyeing

The most beautiful dyes for Easter eggs come from foodstuff you probably already have in your kitchen. The colours are unusual - gentle, earthy, soft, and very vibrant, without being harsh like the artificial dyes.To colour the eggs, you boil them with the dyestuff, rather than boiling the eggs separately and then dyeing them.

General directions:

• Put raw, white-shelled, eggs in a single layer in a pan. Cover with cold water. Add a little more than a teaspoon of white vinegar. Add the natural dyestuff for the color you want your eggs to be. (The more eggs you are dying at a time, the more dye you will need to use, and the more dye you use, the darker the colour will be.)
  Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Check the eggs for colour by removing them from the dye liquid with a slotted spoon.
• If the colour is how you want it, pour off the hot dye liquid and rinse the eggs immediately in cold water to stop the eggs from cooking. Continue to change the water until it stays cool in the pan because the eggs are no longer releasing heat. Drain and allow eggs to cool.
• If you are using onion skins, you can create patterns by wrapping the onion skins round the egg before you put it into the water.

Try these foods to dye your eggs:

• Red or Pink - lots of red onion skins, cranberry juice, or frozen raspberries.
• Orange - Yellow onion skins
• Brown - Red beetroot  peelings or grape juice (produces a beautiful sparkling tan), coffee.
• Yellow - Saffron, tumeric or cumin, orange or lemon peels, or celery seed.
• Green - Spinach, or carrot tops and peels from Golden Delicious apples for a yellow-green.
• Blue - Red cabbage leaves make the most incredible robin's-egg blue.