Very soon Christians from all countries will celebrate the bright holiday of Easter. Easter cakes and colored eggs are obligatory attributes of the Resurrection of Christ. It is considered a tradition to paint eggs on Holy Week and carry them along with Easter cakes to the temple for consecration. But until now, many do not know what the tradition of painting eggs on the eve of a bright holiday means, and why it needs to be done. There are many stories and legends that tell why eggs are painted on Holy Easter.
A bit of history
Painted eggs are the main symbol of Easter
All Christians paint Easter eggs, and this tradition began in pagan times. Our ancestors considered the egg a symbol of life, fertility, and rebirth. Chicken testicles were dipped in the blood of animals, which were sacrificed to the Gods, thereby receiving the disposition of good spirits. The family that brought such a gif.webpt to the Gods could count on their mercy and help.
Since ancient times in Russia it was customary to bring dyed eggs and Easter cakes to church on the eve of Easter, and after the service to kiss and exchange dyes three times.
The master gave his servants wooden or bone Easter dyes for Easter. Wealthy gentlemen did not consider it shameful to give the beggars colored eggs for Easter along with alms. It was believed that Easter is the holiday when the unity of the whole people takes place, regardless of social status and material wealth. Before God, all are equal - this is what the tradition of presenting with dyes on the day of the Great Resurrection meant.
Biblical version
The Bible says that for the first time a dyed Easter egg was given by Mary Magdalena to the emperor when she came to him with the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After the resurrection took place, Jesus' disciples joyfully proclaimed the good news to all believers. Mary Magdalene immediately went to the Emperor Tiberius to be the first to tell him about what had happened. There was a law according to which a person, even the most beggar, must bring something as a gif.webpt to the emperor, even a chicken egg. Maria Magdalena also came with the egg, but she chose such an offering deliberately. The egg is a new life that has arisen, a victory over death. When Mary Magdalene told Tiberius about the resurrection of Christ, the emperor did not believe a single word of her. He said: "What you say is impossible, just as it is impossible for the egg you brought to turn red in my hands." And a miracle happened - the shell turned red. Tiberius then exclaimed: "Christ is Risen!" Since then, believers on the bright holiday of Easter have greeted this way: "Christ is Risen!", And in response they must say: "Truly He is Risen!"
There is another legend according to which, after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Jews gathered at the table. Fried chicken and boiled eggs were served. One of the Jews said that after three days a miracle would happen and Christ would be resurrected. The second Jew laughed loudly and replied: "It is more likely that the fried chicken will become alive, and the eggs will turn red, than what you said will happen." At that moment, the fried chicken cackled and the boiled testicles turned red.
There are many versions of the emergence of the tradition of dyeing eggs.
The Legend of Jesus Christ and the Merchant
The Lutheran Church offers its own version of where the tradition of painting eggs for Holy Easter came from. This legend is directly related to the biblical events that take place during the execution of Jesus Christ.When Jesus was being led to Golgotha, a merchant rushed to help Jesus because he saw how much he could not bear to bear the heavy cross. The merchant put the basket of eggs on the ground, and when he returned for it, he saw that the shell turned red. Believing in the Divine manifestation, he did not sell red eggs, but distributed them to his friends and neighbors.
The story of the holy apostle Peter
There is another biblical story about the Easter egg, and why eggs are painted on Easter.
One of the disciples of Jesus Christ, Peter, who was later named an apostle and founded the Christian church, after the resurrection of his teacher, went to the Jewish cities with the good news. But in one city Peter was received with hostility and they began to throw stones at him, wanting to destroy every Christian. The stones, before reaching Peter and his escorts, began to turn into red testicles. The Jews immediately believed in divine powers and converted to Christianity.
Everyday explanation of why eggs are painted for Easter
There is a household version of why eggs are painted for Easter.
It is known that before Easter, believing Christians should keep a long Great Lent. It is considered the most difficult and ends with the great Easter holiday. Any animal products should not be consumed during fasting. But what were the villagers to do with the eggs, which continued to carry the chickens? The peasants figured out how to distinguish between fresh eggs and those that the chickens had been carrying since the beginning of the fast. They began to paint them bright red. On Easter, the dyed eggs were carried to the church, lit up and presented to each other colored eggs.
How can you paint eggs
Previously, there were no food colors, and our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, as a rule, painted eggs for Easter in a decoction of onion peels. By the way, many housewives still choose this method as the most environmentally friendly one.
In addition to onion peels, the following natural dyes were used:
- The bark of a cherry tree - the color turned out to be a rich burgundy;
- Beets - the shells were painted in a pale pink color;
- Turmeric - the yellow color symbolized wealth and wealth.
Now many people use special paints designed for coloring shells for Easter. There is also a large selection of stickers and decals.
Important! The Church warns that the faces of saints cannot be pasted on Easter dyes. It is allowed to draw patterns or apply an ornament.
For dyeing eggs, it is better to choose natural dyes.
Easter greetings
There is a tradition of congratulating you on Easter. Relatives present each other with an Easter cake and a painted egg with the words: "Christ is risen!" The one who is presented with the Easter gif.webpts answers: "Indeed he has risen!" This is followed by kissing three times.
Even in ancient Russia, it was believed that Easter dye has a unique divine power. Easter eggs can stop a fire, prevent pestilence in pets, and save people from disease. The girls passed the shells on their cheeks, believing that this ritual would help them become even more beautiful. Krashenki were carefully kept until next Easter.
Easter is one of the happiest and brightest religious holidays. On this day, people visit each other, gather at a large table, communicate, and have fun together. The main place on the festive table is occupied by cakes and painted eggs, as a symbol of the great Easter.
