"Easter"

Easter IsA TimeOf Springtime Festivals

            {A Small Bit Of Easter History}

  In Christian countries Easter is celebrated as the religious
holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
the son of God. But the celebrations of Easter have many
        customs and legends that are pagan in origin
            and have nothing to do with Christianity.
Of all the symbols associated with Easter, the egg
            (the symbol of fertility and new life)
  is the most identifiable. The customs and traditions of
using eggs have been associated with Easter for centuries.

         Originally Easter eggs were painted with bright colors to
          represent the sunlight of spring and were used in Easter-egg
           rolling contests or given as gifts. After they were colored and
              etched with various designs, the eggs were exchanged by
              lovers and romantic admirers, much the same as valentines.
              In medieval times, eggs were traditionally given at Easter to the
              servants. In Germany eggs were given to children along with
              other Easter gifts.

        Different cultures have developed their own ways of
              decorating Easter eggs. Crimson eggs, to honor the blood of
              Christ, are exchanged in Greece. In parts of Germany and Austria,
               green eggs are used on Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday).
               Slavic peoples decorate their eggs in special
              patterns of gold and silver.

                 Austrian artists design patterns by fastening ferns and
              tiny plants around the eggs, which are then boiled. The plants
              are then removed revealing a striking white pattern. The Poles
              and Ukrainians decorate eggs with simple designs and colors.
              A number of eggs are made in the distinctive manner called
              pysanki (to design, to write).

                  Pysanki eggs are a masterpiece of skill and workmanship.
             Melted beeswax is applied to the fresh white egg. It is then
              dipped in successive baths of dye. After each dip, wax is
              painted over the area where the preceding color is to remain.
              Eventually a complex pattern of lines and colors emerges into
              a work of art.

                 In Germany and other countries, eggs used for cooking
              where not broken, but the contents were removed by piercing
              the end of each egg with a needle and blowing the contents
              into a bowl. The hollow eggs were died and hung from shrubs
              and trees during the Easter Week. The Armenians would
              decorate hollow eggs with pictures of Christ, the Virgin Mary,
              and other religious designs.

Most adults remember how to decorate eggs from when we were kids.
For those of you that may not remember all the different ways, here are some ideas.

{Anything goes when decorating hard cooked eggs.}

Pictured eggs are decorated in these manners;

1. Colored felt tip pens: (lightning bolts, mosaics, thunder clouds, flower designs).

2. Melted Crayons: Hold crayon in candle flame* and let melted crayon drip
over and run down sides.
Use several colors layering one over the other.

3. Stamps: A star stamp on a gold stamp pad makes an elegant egg design.

4. Spray paint: Our silver eggs were placed on old newspaper and sprayed**.

5. Commercial Dyes: These are simple to do and make an eggscellent base

to decorate further.

*Recommend parental supervision.
**Do not use decorated eggs for consumption.

Other ideas:

Thumbprint Eggs: Roll thumb on stamp pad then onto hard cooked eggs.
Use black marking pen to transform prints into animals.

Personalized Eggs: Use decals to put kids names on hard cooked eggs.

Pastel Eggs: Use commercial dyes but leave eggs in color for 1 hour only.

Results in pretty pastel colors.

Stamped Eggs: Use favorite stamps to decorate hard cooked eggs.