Since ancient times, people perceived the egg as an object of worship, because before their eyes, an object that looked inanimate turned into a warm swarming lump of life. It is not surprising that many believed in the birth of the whole world from an egg, which became a symbol of new life in different religions. And today, some church rituals are not complete without eggs.
The tradition of dyeing chicken eggs was familiar to the ancient Romans, and even painted ostrich were found in the burials of the Egyptians. The early Christians put a new meaning into the custom of giving each other eggs for the holidays. The red color of the shell symbolized the blood of the crucified Christ, and such eggs should be sent to loved ones on Easter. According to legend, Mary Magdalene brought a baked egg to Emperor Tiberius and the news of the imminent resurrection of Jesus. He just laughed, saying that the likelihood of such an event is no higher than the chance of a modest gift for a color change. And at that very moment, the egg in his hand turned scarlet.
This tradition is especially common among Orthodox Christians. In other countries, different colors and explanations are preferred. Poles make eggs of all colors of the rainbow and tell children that once the Virgin Mary did the same to amuse a baby. The Austrians prefer green: in their opinion, it signifies the coming of spring and the promise of hope. Yellow eggs are popular in Istanbul for Easter. Researchers do not have an exact explanation for this choice, but historians suggest that it was easiest for local Christians to get this particular dye.
There is also a down-to-earth explanation for the tradition of dyeing eggs. During the entire long Great Lent, they, like all meager food, are prohibited. But the chickens don't stop laying. So the hostesses cooked testicles for future use until refrigerators appeared. And in order not to confuse them with raw, onion peels were added to the water.
Today, the Easter tradition allows the use of all colors of the rainbow when dyeing eggs. At the same time, yellow means a wish for prosperity, blue means hope, green means rebirth. You can leave the eggs white, because this is the color of heavenly purity. And only black is strictly prohibited - this is a sign of grief and mourning in Christian countries.
