The tradition of giving Easter eggs is one of the most ancient, and it goes back to the legend of how Mary Magdalene came to the Emperor Tiberius to inform about the resurrection of Christ. She brought with her only an ordinary egg, which turned red right in the emperor's hand. Tiberius, who didn’t believe at first, was very surprised and exclaimed “He is truly risen!”.
It is necessary
- - eggs;
- - onion husks, birch leaves, beets and other dyes;
- - present.
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare eggs in advance, on Maundy Thursday. Cook them in a decoction of onion skins, birch leaves, beets, coffee, or other natural dyes. To get speckled eggs, wet them and roll in dry rice, wrap in cheesecloth and cook in a dye broth. The marbled effect can be obtained by wrapping the eggs in onion skins and then in a handkerchief or cheesecloth before boiling.
Step 2
For a more original drawing, buy a special egg film or paint it by hand. You can also give decorative eggs, for example, painted wooden or decorated with beads, ribbons. Prepare such a gift in advance - it will become a home decoration for a long time.
Step 3
When you meet your friends, family or just acquaintances, greet them with the phrase “Christ is Risen!”. They must answer you "Truly Risen!" Traditionally, the younger ones are the first to greet, and the older ones only respond.
Step 4
Swap Easter eggs and “christen” them. To do this, take an egg in your hand and hit it against the egg in the other person's hand so as to break it, then turn the eggs over with the other ends and do the same. Also, the tradition provides for "christianity on the cheeks" - kiss this person three times on the cheeks.
Step 5
If there is a desire and opportunity, give an Easter gift along with the Easter egg. It can be a warm blanket for an elderly person, a toy for a child, jewelry for a girl - any gift chosen with great attention and care, serving as a symbol of rebirth and love.
Step 6
Eat the Easter eggs presented to you. The custom prohibits throwing the shell through the window and, moreover, spitting it out (according to legend, Christ himself walks on the earth with the apostles, and you can get into it with the shell). Therefore, eat gently, crushing and discarding the shells. It is even better to bury her soil - in this case, the harvest will be much richer.
Step 7
Leave at least one egg and store it all year. It will keep your home from fires and bad weather. By rolling a painted egg on the ground, you will make the land in your dacha more fertile, since the egg in Russian culture is a symbol of rebirth and new life.
