Hello to all! This year we have tried to thoroughly prepare for the holiday, without forgetting anything. Unless ... it remains to find out when to paint eggs for Easter 2019. That's exactly what we'll talk about now!
I don’t know about you, but as a child I loved Easter precisely because of the delicious Easter cake and beautiful dyes. I always helped my mother decorate the eggs, and then walked around with multi-colored palms, but absolutely happy. Then I thought that all this is being done to make us children have fun. Later, an understanding of the meaning of all folk traditions came.
Having matured a little, I learned that the pre-Easter days are all scheduled:
- In one day, money is counted;
- In the other, bathing and cleaning;
- In the third - peeping will take;
- Of course, there is a place for preparing dishes for the festive menu.
The last point just involves coloring the eggs. Why did you do it? Since the custom was adopted to give and exchange them, it was symbolic, together with the egg, to express wishes for good, happiness and health. And it was the color of the dye that spoke eloquently about this. Each color means something good. Therefore, the preparation of this food should be approached with all responsibility.
Easter in 2019
Naturally, not on the holiday itself, and not at the last moment, you need to do the preparatory work. And since the date of Easter this year falls on April 28, Sunday, then during the week, from April 21 to 27 inclusive, you should prepare food.
Traditionally, it is believed that the painting procedure will begin no earlier than the point in the house. This means that after Maundy Thursday, after April 25.
But the same ancient customs say that this cannot be done on Good Friday. This means that the most correct solution is 2 options:
- The first is acceptable. Taking into account the fact that life has changed and the pace of life has increased, a lot of things fall on us. Therefore, starting from Monday, the second, you can start culinary concerns (except Friday, April 26).
- The second is by tradition. In order to make dyes, only a few days are allocated during Holy Week. Namely, Thursday evening, the 25th, and all Saturday, April 27th, until late at night.
And don't forget to make decorations for the apartment, especially if there are kids in the house.
How can you decorate a house, what crafts to make
Egg color meaning
It is up to you to choose which of the options suits you. I wish you everything in time and for Easter to look attractive, and the table to be full of goodies. 
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Have you made a postcard for loved ones? Your family will be pleased that you thought of them. Let me remind you that last time I told you how to make an egg-shaped postcard with a cute chicken and flowers. If interested, follow the link
Coloring eggs for Easter is a favorite pastime for both adults and children. When Easter is early, like this year, egg dyeing becomes not only a symbol of this important and great holiday, but also a real decoration of the festive table. On what days of Holy Week to paint eggs?
This is useful material on why eggs are painted for Easter. If you want to quickly find out when and on what day this is done, then we will immediately answer - on Maundy Thursday (April 25 in 2019) or on Holy Saturday (April 27 in 2019).
In no case should you paint eggs on Good Friday (the day of great tribulation, when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross). If you are wondering where the tradition came from and when is the best time to do painting, then read our material below.
Read in a separate article. This is a very mournful day when they remember the events of the morning - the execution of Jesus Christ, his martyrdom on the cross, his removal from the cross and burial. The day is worth spending in peace, prayer and sorrow.
In search of ways to paint eggs for Easter, you can read articles on this topic on our website, where a variety of color options are described in detail, with photos and videos, detailed descriptions:
Why eggs are painted on Easter
There is still no consensus and exact fact on this issue. Already, probably, the truth will never be established. There are several common and widely accepted legends. One of them is associated with Mary Magdalene and the Roman emperor Tiberius.
As everyone who read the Gospel knows, after his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ spent forty more days on earth in the realm of the spirit, instructing his disciples and people close to him. He talked about how to spread the Christian faith, what to do next. So Mary Magdalene, having listened to these words, decided to go to the emperor Tiberius and tell the news that the Savior, Christ, who was crucified by the order of the emperor (on behalf of the Roman authorities) was resurrected on the third day and announced the victory of life over death.
The traditions of that time boiled down to the fact that it was impossible to go to the emperor (no matter how you feel about him) empty-handed. What did poor Maria have with her? Can you guess? Only one egg.
So the turn of communicating with the emperor came to her and she said that Christ was crucified and he died in front of everyone's eyes, was buried, but on the third day he rose again. Tiberius laughed in the face of the woman and scoffed at her in front of everyone. He said something like that an ordinary person cannot be resurrected, just as an egg in Mary's hands cannot turn red. At that very moment, everyone saw that the egg began to turn red and eventually turned bright red. Tiberius could only say one single phrase that we say to each other today on the Easter holiday: "He is truly risen."
There is another very kind and interesting version. When Christ was a boy, he loved chickens very much. His mother Maria collected eggs and painted them for her son. When Christ was crucified and he died as a martyr on the cross, Mary brought Pontius Pilate (the representative of the Roman government in Jerusalem, who made the decision to execute the Savior) a whole basket of painted eggs. She knelt in front of Pilate, lowered the hem of her dress, and eggs scattered across the white marble floor as a symbol of a reminder of the dishonest execution.
If we consider the coloring of eggs in a more general and symbolic sense, without associating it with any specific events, stories and people, then we can refer to the symbol of life. It is such a symbol that the egg is from which the chicken is then obtained.
When to paint eggs for Easter 2019
Previously, in the villages, they began to practice dyeing eggs already on Holy Week, right from Monday, and every day, with the exception of Good Friday, April 26, was suitable for this lesson. But modern housewives do not prepare so in advance, therefore the most suitable days for this business are Thursday or Saturday.
This year the dates coincided so that Holy Saturday falls on the Annunciation and will be celebrated on April 27th. We know that on the days of major church holidays, which is the Annunciation, you cannot do housework and housekeeping. However, in this case, the priests emphasize: if you went to church in the morning, prayed for the holiday and for the Mother of God, then gradually at home you can begin to do the rest of the pre-Easter affairs. Including, and dyeing eggs, and baking Easter, little by little cook other dishes.
Advice! The best day on which eggs are painted for Easter has always been Maundy Thursday. Because, according to the gospel story, on that evening, on the eve of his arrest, Jesus gathered his disciples and shared a meal with him. But this is a desirable day, not strictly required. If, due to work and other matters, you manage to paint eggs on Holy Saturday, you can safely do this and not be afraid of anything.
In no case should you paint eggs, just like doing any other household work (in the kitchen, in the garden, and anywhere) - this is Good Friday. If it is already impossible to paint the testicles on another day, then on Friday do it carefully and in a minimum amount, but only after 15.00 in the afternoon, when the shroud will be brought to the center of the temple. Otherwise, set aside coloring and other household preparations. It is better to get up early so that you have time to do everything.
Easter is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the most important, bright and significant holiday in Christianity. The sinless Son of God shed his blood, rose from the grave, conquered death in order to give people eternal, new life, free from grief and sin.
For hundreds of years this victory has been symbolized by colored eggs, becoming an obligatory attribute of "breaking the fast", family feast and ritual offering of Christians on the bright day of the manifestation of God's mercy.
Stories and legends
The custom of dyeing eggs for Easter is characteristic of Orthodox Christians in all countries of the world and dates back to pagan times.
Eggs among the Slavs have always symbolized the beginning of life, fertility, spring rebirth, in order to appease the gods, they dipped them in blood and sacrificed propitiation to spirits. Testicles painted red were considered a family talisman, a guarantee of health, luck and safety.
The Christian history of the ancient pagan rite was first mentioned in a tenth century manuscript kept in the monastery of St. Anastasia in Greece. It sets out the church charter, according to which, after the blessing of the Easter gifts prepared for the meal, the abbot was to distribute painted bird eggs to the brethren with the words: "Christ is Risen!"
In Russia, on the Bright Sunday of Christ, the Orthodox since ancient times exchanged such greetings, christened with a threefold kiss and gave testicles consecrated in the church.
Easter eggs - natural, wooden, bone, carved - the master gave to the servant, the boss to the subordinate, the rich beggar. Eggs on this day clearly symbolized the unity of the Orthodox people and the equality of all before one God, who does not look at faces, but looks into the treasury of the human heart.
Good all Mary Magdalene to the Roman ruler
The Bible and Holy Scriptures do not mention the rite of coloring eggs. The stories and legends that arose on the basis of the Gospel do not have direct confirmation, but the tradition of making the egg a symbol of the holiday has confidently entered the list of Easter rituals.
The most famous legend tells of Mary Magdalene, who was the first to see the resurrected savior and began to preach about him in Rome even before the Apostle Paul. To the Roman emperor Tiberius Mary Magdalene presented an egg with the words: "Christ is Risen!"
Immediately after these words, white egg blushed right in his hands, confirming the good news of Mary about the great event of that time.
Miracle during a meal
Another story about why believers paint eggs for the holiday tells of a meal of the Jews in Palestine after the execution of Jesus Christ.
One of those present at the table remembered Christ's promise to be resurrected on the third day after his death. To these words, another companion replied that such a miracle could only happen if the fried chicken on a platter came to life and boiled eggs turn red.
In a moment everything happened exactly with the words of the doubting Jew.
The nobility of the egg trader
The Lutheran Church adheres to its version of colored eggs, which has a direct connection with biblical events. The legend tells of the most tragic moment in Scripture, namely the procession of the Savior to Calvary.
The cross, which Jesus carried to the place of his execution, amid the cries of the curse of the crowd, was very heavy. A passing egg dealer, seeing the suffering and pain of the convict, rushed to his aid. He left the basket with his fragile goods on the side of the road, and when he returned, he saw that all the eggs had turned bright red.
Believing in Divine intervention, the merchant did not carry them to the market, but distributed them to relatives and friends, telling about the miracle that had happened.
Stones of Faith of Saint Peter
One of the disciples of the son of God on earth, who later became an apostle and founder of the Christian church, was Peter. After Christ's ascension to heaven, Peter and other brothers walked around Judea and talked about their faith. In one city, wicked people refused to accept their testimony and began throwing stones to kill the early Christians.
And then a miracle happened: the flying stones began to turn into red chicken eggs, without harming Peter and his companions. Then the abandoned people stopped persecuting "heretics" and humbly accepted Christianity.
Why were eggs painted only red before?
There are many legends, stories and legends introducing the origin of the tradition of painting eggs. They may have biblical roots and not have a religious origin, have a mythological and purely everyday character.
All of them have one thing in common - the red color of the shell from bright scarlet to dark crimson, symbolizing the blood of Christ shed on Calvary in the name of atonement for the sins of all people. In memory and recognition of God's great mercy and love, Christians paint eggs in the color of the blood of their Savior.
The non-Christian historical version tells of a prophecy received by the mother of the great commander and emperor Marcus Aurelius. On the day of his birth, one of the domestic hens in the yard laid an unusual egg with red dots.
The Romans were distinguished by their great superstition in various miracles and predictions, therefore, the words of the court broadcaster about the great fate of the child, which became prophetic, laid the foundation for the custom of giving each other painted eggs for the holidays.
In addition, the crimson color always indicated belonging to the highest nobility, and only representatives of royal dynasties wore clothes made of red fabric.
What are eggs painted with?
On Easter, eggs are painted by boiling them in any broth, after allowing it to settle for a while. This method was used in ancient times and is preferred to use now, since it is the "grandmother's" method that remains the highest quality and safest for health.
To give the egg bright saturated colors will help:
- onion husks, cherry bark - red, brown, orange;
- turmeric - yellow gold color, a symbol of wealth;
- beets - the pink color of purity and innocence;
- hibiscus, blue cabbage - blue radiance of hope and kindness;
- brilliant green - a marbled green shade, symbolizing rebirth.
Before Easter, a huge selection of artificial colors, stickers, translations appears on sale, but traditionally they remain in demand natural dyes... Their advantage also lies in the fact that they not only color the shell, but also strengthen it.
How long does an Easter egg last?
They began to paint eggs from the beginning of the Great 40-day fast in Orthodoxy, since church rules forbade them to eat them at that time.
So that they do not deteriorate and so that they can later be distinguished from fresh raw ones, the eggs were boiled in onion husks, smeared with sunflower oil and stored until the bright day of Christ.
According to the Orthodox tradition, the consecrated egg must be kept behind the icons for a year until the next Great Sunday, since it has healing and magical properties.
An Easter egg, like an ordinary one, does not need to be eaten after the expiration date, but if precautions are taken, it can retain its attractiveness for a long time and become a visual symbol of eternal divine life in the house.
Video: how did the tradition of dyeing Easter eggs come about?
Hello, friends. Soon the holiday of great Easter, and what a holiday without multi-colored Easter eggs. Every child knows that on the feast of Christ's Resurrection, they must bake cakes and paint eggs. How many knows why eggs are painted for Easter? They are an important part of the Christian holiday.
Ancient legends - painted eggs for easter
There is a biblical tradition that tells where the tradition of painting eggs red came from. It is known from reliable sources that when the miraculous resurrection of Jesus took place, Saint Mary Magdalene decided to go to the Roman emperor with the good news. Then all those who come to Tiberius are obliged to bring gifts. They brought all the most valuable. Mary had nothing but faith in the Lord. She decided to present the emperor with a simple chicken egg. With the words: "Christ is Risen," she stretched out her hands to him with a gift.
Tiberius did not believe the woman and replied that the dead cannot come to life, just as her gift from white does not turn into red. But what was his surprise when he saw how it turned red in front of his eyes.
This legend marked the beginning of the Orthodox tradition of painting Easter eggs red as a sign of true faith. Painted testicles are a symbol of the miraculous Resurrection of Christ, the cleansing of the soul and the beginning of a new life. The consecrated were credited with miraculous properties of protection from diseases. They were crumbled on the graves of the dead, remembering them. There is another more common legend.
Orthodox believers did not eat eggs during Lent, and the chickens did not stop laying. To keep them boiled. They dyed eggshells so as not to be confused with fresh ones. The giving of Easter eggs, a method of worship for Christians. If the divine Resurrection of Jesus had not happened, then according to the teaching of the Apostle Paul, the new faith would have been meaningless. Christ was resurrected as the only one born on earth, showing the people Divine power. Church scripture testifies to this.
Easter egg symbolism
The egg was attributed to magical properties even before the era of Christianity. When excavating ancient burials, real eggs are found, and made from all kinds of materials. It is a symbol of purity, the birth of a new life.
The appearance of the Christian symbol came to us from the thousand-year-old customs of the religion of the peoples of the whole world. In Orthodoxy, it receives a new semantic meaning. First of all, it becomes a sign of the appearance of Christ in bodily form. A symbol of the great joy of believers. According to Russian legends, during the Resurrection of Christ, the stones on Calvary turned into red eggs.
The first mention of dyed eggs for Easter is found in writings on parchment dating from the 10th century. They are kept in the libraries of the monastery of St. Anastasia. It is located in Greece near Thessaloniki. The manuscript contains a sacred charter, at the end of which it is said: “After the Easter service, read the prayer for the consecration of eggs and cheese. After the consecrated eggs to distribute to the brethren with the words Christ is Risen! ". The abbot could punish a monk who refused to eat a red testicle on a holiday. Information says that the history of the Easter egg goes back to the time of Mary Magdalene. The rite of staining has been going on for more than 2000 years.
Celebration in Russia
In Russia, Easter began to be celebrated in the 10th century. The holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox and the March full moon.
The festivities were accompanied by various pagan rites, but were considered sanctified by God's grace. They baked Easter cakes, made homemade cheese, dyed eggs red. Consecrated eggs were placed in a barrel of grain and stored until sowing. It was believed that the harvest would be large. Celebrations in Russia were massive. People rejoiced at everything, life, the onset of spring and warmth. Easter is celebrated in early spring, when nature wakes up, the grass turns green. For the most important Orthodox holiday, they begin to prepare in advance.
In almost all regions of Russia, Easter is considered the most important Orthodox holiday. Great services are held on the night of Great Saturday. People rush to the temple from all the neighborhoods. On this night, all the churches are overflowing with believers. At the end of the service, the priest blesses the food brought in for breaking the fast in the morning, and he himself receives one egg from the parishioners.
In tsarist times in the capital of our country, festive services were held in the Assumption Cathedral. The king was always present there. He added greatness to what was happening. The lieutenant colonels standing at the door made sure that beggars did not enter the cathedral. After the prayers, the tsar applied to the holy images, which were presented to him by the clergy. He presented everyone with colorful eggs, real and wooden, decorated with bright patterns.
In the morning, after the prayer service, the tsar went to the Archangel Cathedral to bow to the ashes of his parents. He listened to a prayer service in the palace church, presented everyone with Easter eggs. Later he went to the cathedral and paid attention to everyone who came up.
Holy Easter is celebrated for three days. In the first, the sovereign drove through the places of detention, said to the condemned "Christ is Risen for you", gave everyone something of clothing and sent food for breaking the fast. And the queen once fed all the beggars.
Painting methods
Let us return from the old Moscow celebrations to our time. How is the great holiday going now? During the singing of the church choir, the parishioners hug each other, kissing each other three times, say: "Christ is Risen," they answer, "Truly He is Risen." They are presented with colored eggs in different colors.
They are called dyes or Easter eggs. Krashenki - cooked and painted, they are a symbol of today. Easter eggs - painted, not boiled, fertilized, are a thing of the past.
There are many options for dyeing testicles. In the villages, the method of cooking in onion skins was more often used. The darker the husk, the richer the color. They usually turned out to be burgundy. The method is effective and safe.
Specials are on sale now food colorings but they get your hands dirty because they don't eat into the shell. They are used to paint boiled eggs.
The custom of exchanging colored testicles dates back to ancient times. From the history of the Easter egg, it follows that under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, about 37,000 eggs were prepared and distributed for the great holiday. Along with the real ones were bone, wood, glass, porcelain.
Many superstitions and legends are associated with the custom of christening. It was believed that while pronouncing the greeting "Christ is Risen - Truly Risen", you make a wish it will come true.
Returning home after vigil, people admire the beauty of the sunrise. It seems to share the universal joy of resurrection. Children sing songs directed to the sun, the elderly, when combing, wondered how many grandchildren there were hairs on their heads. Upon returning from the prayer service, the tables were set with various dishes to break the fast. The tables were set very richly, like for a wedding.
Earlier on Easter they went from house to house with songs praising the Lord, as at Christmas with carols. They were treated to goodies or given money. Guys usually went.
Easter games
For the holiday there were games with Easter eggs, they were the main entertainment these days. According to the rules of one of them that exists to this day, a person held a painted testicle in his hand so that a sharp or blunt edge was visible. The second hit him with another egg. Whoever breaks a testicle, he lost and gave his to the winner.
In another game, "rolling eggs" is necessary from the bumps. According to the rules, you need to roll an egg and hit others with it that lie below. If this succeeded, the person took it for himself.
Ancient customs have survived. Today, on this significant day for all believers, the temples are again filled with the prayers of thousands of people. The once destroyed temples are being restored. During Holy Week, families prepare for the holiday, clean the house, paint eggs, bake fragrant cakes.
Easter is the brightest and happiest day of the year for Orthodox Christians. They always prepare for it in advance. Where did the tradition of painting eggs come from, few people know. According to history, after the resurrection of Jesus, Mary Magdalene went to the Roman emperor and, having met him, brought him the good news. As a gift, she presented him with a chicken egg, which, according to the current law, had to be donated by every indigent person who came to Caesar.
The emperor, laughing, expressed a desire to see evidence that Jesus was resurrected, specifying that he would believe in this miracle only when this egg turns red. Suddenly, the egg began to fill with a bloody scarlet color. From that moment on, there is a tradition among Christians to paint eggs and present them to each other for Easter.
Who shouldn't paint eggs - beliefs
Some superstitious people, usually older people, argue that not everyone is allowed to paint eggs in the week before Easter. According to an old belief, you cannot paint eggs for Easter until a year if a grief happened in your family and one of your relatives died. A year of mourning for a loved one must be observed. And if you really don't want to deviate from the Easter tradition, you need to paint the eggs black. To this, any priest will answer only one thing - all these are the delusions of superstitious grandmothers. And if you want to grieve for a year, it is better to lead a humble life, do not drink alcohol and do not blaspheme.
After all, for God there are no dead, he has all the living, the human soul is immortal, only the flesh is mortal. The Feast of Christ's Resurrection is a symbol of our unity with deceased relatives, and the red egg denotes the rebirth of a new life and immortality. Suggestions in black or not to paint at all are just pagan superstitions of people who little understand the essence of Christian teaching.
Who else is not allowed to paint eggs on the bright holiday of Easter are women who are currently menstruating. According to the belief, such a woman is "unclean" at this time, she should not prepare food for Easter, and in general it is better not to attend church on these days. To which the priests answer, which is quite possible and even necessary. And “clean” must be, first of all, spiritually.
But if you are worried about this, you can entrust the process of coloring the eggs to someone else in the family. The existing beliefs, who should not paint eggs for Easter, are pagan superstitions, a believer should not take them seriously.