This tradition goes back many centuries, and most of people take it for granted, without even thinking why it is being done. In fact, it is even older than the Easter holiday itself, and its history goes back far into the depths of the centuries. Historians can only guess why eggs are painted on Easter, and there are several versions on this score.
The modern explanation of why eggs are painted on Easter today, which many Christians adhere to, is as follows: there is one beautiful ancient legend about Mary Magdalene, who brought the message of the Resurrection of Christ to Tiberius. Since it was impossible to come to the court of the emperor without offerings, and Mary Magdalene could not only bring luxurious gifts, but also simply make a gift, she took an ordinary chicken egg with her. When the emperor listened to her message, he mockingly said that he would believe that dead man could resurrect, only when an ordinary egg turns red, well, even that. A miracle happened - the egg immediately turned red. By the way, Christian sources do not describe such a story, and this version is not considered official, but is very loved by believers. It is to this story, in their opinion, that the tradition of painting eggs for Easter dates back.
According to another, less wonderful version of the same legend, Mary Magdalene simply gave the emperor a red-colored egg with the inscription formed from the first two letters of the sentence "Christ is risen" - and this was the first Easter egg.
Unbiased researchers tend to believe that Christians adopted this tradition from earlier cults. Indeed, it is found in many pre-Christian beliefs, in particular among the Slavs. Why do they paint eggs? In pagan cults, the egg was a symbol of fertility, and in the spring the Slavs also had a big holiday dedicated to the awakening of nature and the beginning of the fertile season, and eggs as its symbol were decorated in every possible way. Over time, these holidays merged and got confused among the poorly educated strata of the population. Perhaps the aforementioned legends appeared to justify the fact that Christian believers began to observe pagan rites on the largest Christian holiday. By the way, some clergymen do not welcome this with radical views even today, not understanding why they paint eggs for Easter. Some of them even say that it is sinful and try to forbid parishioners from painting eggs. But this tradition has taken root so much and has become a part of Christian culture that believers are greeted with such statements with bewilderment.
There is also a more prosaic explanation of why eggs are painted on Easter. Perhaps this was due to the fact that during a long fast it was impossible to eat them, and so that they would not deteriorate, they were boiled, adding various herbs, for example, so as not to confuse boiled eggs with colored ones.
In fact, is it worth pondering why eggs are painted on Easter - wherever the roots of this tradition are, the main thing is that it is very beautiful and popular. Why do they paint eggs for Easter? To decorate the festive table, to make it fun, to congratulate each other - that's the right answer. Many folk amusements are associated with colored eggs - who among us in childhood did not play with them, testing an egg for strength? And how happy it was to win someone else's egg, and it doesn't matter at all whether we loved to eat them or not. They also appear in many beliefs and rituals. In particular, sometimes for successful construction and the future well-being of residents, many such traditions were put into the foundation of a house under construction, and each nation has its own. In general, painting eggs is fun and beautiful, no matter what the history of this ceremony.
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, cakes are baked and eggs are painted. How many knows why eggs are painted for Easter? They are important detail for a 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 Orthodox tradition coloring 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 ritual 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. We baked cakes, cooked homemade cheese painted 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. They begin to prepare for the most important Orthodox holiday in advance.
In almost all regions of Russia, Easter is considered the most important Orthodox holiday. At night great sabbath a great service is being held. 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 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 watched 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." Dyed eggs are presented 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.
Special food colors are now on sale, 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 the all-night 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, thought, as many grandchildren as there are 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 dyed 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 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. Once destroyed temples are being restored. In families in passion week prepare for the holiday, clean the house, paint eggs, bake fragrant Easter cakes.
2Easter miracle 03/22/2018
Every year millions of people around the world celebrate Easter. When will we celebrate it this year? In 2018, Catholic Easter falls on April 1, and Orthodox Easter falls on April 8. By Slavic traditions for this day, you need to bake cakes and paint eggs. These are unchanging symbols and ceremonial food that should stand on festive table... In Canada and the USA, the Easter rabbit is considered the symbol of the holiday of Light Easter, and in Armenia - sweet rice with dried fruits.
From year to year, people observe age-old traditions, but where do they originate from? Today I would like to talk with you about symbolism in Christianity, in particular, about why eggs are painted on Easter, Easter cakes are baked.
Before plunging into the history of the Slavic people and the sacrament of the holiday, I would like to tell you a little, dear readers, about the symbolism of ritual food.
Easter Egg
Biblical beliefs say that the tomb of Jesus Christ was closed with an oval-shaped stone resembling an egg. IN encyclopedic dictionary Brockhaus and Efron, there is a mention of what the Easter egg symbolizes. The dictionary says that it has long been the embodiment of the birth of a new life.
For Christians, the Easter egg is associated with the Holy Sepulcher, under the shell of which the mystery of eternal life is hidden.
Some sources indicate that the egg was likened to the sky: the inner film meant clouds, the yolk - the terrestrial part of the land, the white - water. The liquid state of the egg was interpreted as sinfulness, and the thickening was interpreted as the Resurrection of Christ.
Easter cakes
Why are Easter cakes baked for Easter? According to Slavic traditions, on the first day of Easter, people baked artos at the liturgy. According to legends, the cake is a kind of cylindrical leavened bread. Easter cakes became a traditional pastry, which was distributed on the Saturday of bright week after reading a prayer. The remains of this bread were used in ceremonies, in fortune-telling about the harvest. Residents of Ukraine call Easter cake pascha. Historian and heraldist V.V. Pokhlebkin in his scientific works wrote that in Russia Easter cakes were baked not only for Easter, but also just on major holidays.
How the custom of dyeing eggs appeared
There are several versions explaining the traditions of celebrating Easter. For centuries, the egg has been interpreted as a sign of rebirth. Moreover, the ancient philosophers argued that the entire universe originates from the egg.
According to the Bible, the story of why eggs are painted on Easter is associated with Mary Magdalene. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, she hastened to the Emperor Tiberius to personally inform him of the exciting news and preach the Gospel. According to ancient tradition, mere mortals could not cross the threshold of the palace without offering gifts. Maria presented a chicken egg, which marks a new stage in life.
This symbolic gift was presented by Mary Magdalene with the words: "Christ is Risen!" At this, the emperor laughed and exclaimed that it was as impossible as for a white egg to turn red. After the spoken words, the donated egg colored.
Red for Orthodox Christians, Catholics and Jews has become a symbol of the blood of the crucified Jesus Christ.
This explains why eggs are painted on Easter. I suggest watching a video in which Archpriest Vladimir Golovin talks about this tradition.
The eaten painted egg before the festive meal with the Romans marked the beginning of a new business. In the manuscripts of the ancient Roman erudite writer Pliny the Elder, it is indicated that eggs were consumed during games, rituals and ceremonies. This tradition was explained by the fact that the egg was perceived as the prototype of the sun, which revives and resurrects everything. During the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the Romans sent each other eggs painted with red specks as a symbol of happiness as birthday greetings.
Since the tradition of dyeing eggs arose, an exclusively red shade was chosen. Why are eggs painted red for Easter? As already mentioned, according to the Bible, this color symbolized the blood of the crucified Jesus Christ. Later historians published other versions.
One of the hypotheses is quite simply explained by the way of life of Christians. During Great Lent (lasts 40 days), believers limit themselves to food of animal origin.
In ancient times, everyone kept household and, of course, the chickens continued to lay during the fast. So that the eggs do not spoil, they were boiled in water with the addition of onion husks. So they turned red and it was easier to distinguish them from fresh ones.
In England, the tradition of dyeing eggs red was considered obsolete in the 19th. But the Easter eggs haven't disappeared. They began to simply be painted in other shades, made of wood, chocolate, decorated precious stones... In Ukraine and Poland, the custom of painting eggs is still preserved. Moreover, there is a special terminology for these Easter symbols: painted eggs in one color are called dyes, painted with an ornament - Easter eggs, and if the pattern was in the form of spots or stripes, they were called specks.
If earlier, when coloring eggs, it was mainly used onion peel, then today the choice of shades is much wider. Iron-on stickers have gained particular popularity, which greatly simplify coloring. In this case, they are used as organic products(beets, cherry bark, fresh herbs) and food colors.
The meaning of other colors for coloring Easter eggs
The color of the Easter egg is of great importance:
- blue - light Blessed virgin, kindness, hope;
- white - purity, spirituality;
- red - God's love for the people;
- green - rebirth, well-being;
- yellow - wealth.
Often, when painting eggs, you get a real work of art, which is then not just a pity to eat, but the very thought of it seems sacrilege. In order not to harm your stomach with an eating disorder, you need to know how long an Easter egg is stored.
Eggs are perishable, so it is best to eat dyed eggs within 3-4 days from the moment of cooking.
On the 4th day, the yolk becomes tasteless and a characteristic smell appears. At the same time, eggs should be stored in the refrigerator, and if without it, then it is advisable to use them within 9 hours.
You can increase the shelf life in a simple way. To do this, you need to grease the shell of boiled eggs. vegetable oil... But you need to remember that doctors do not recommend eating more than two eggs a day. Therefore, it is better to make a little dye or Easter eggs than to throw out the spoiled product later.
This is the story of the tradition of baking cakes and painting eggs for Easter! Perhaps this custom originated from the totality of many versions set forth in the Bible and historians. In any case, Easter eggs always become an object of art and table decoration. Does your family observe this tradition? Maybe you know other versions of the origin of this custom? Be sure to share your opinion and be happy!
The Easter egg is a symbol of the spring holiday along with Easter cake and cottage cheese. These bright symbols of the Bright Resurrection of Christ are known to every person from childhood, but perhaps not everyone knows why eggs are painted on Easter.
There are many versions and explanations - starting from beautiful legend and ending with everyday necessities, says Sputnik Georgia.
Legends, versions, assumptions
The egg symbolizes life, rebirth, and the tradition of painting eggs for Easter is rooted in antiquity. The first mentions of colored eggs are found in a tenth century manuscript found in the library of the Greek monastery of St. Anastasia.
© Sputnik / Alexander Imedashvili
According to the manuscript, after the Easter service, the hegumen distributed consecrated eggs to the brethren with the words: "Christ is Risen!"
But the answer to the question of when and why they began to paint eggs is still shrouded in mystery.
Legend has it that Mary Magdalene presented the first Easter egg to the Roman emperor Tiberius to announce the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ.
According to ancient custom, gifts were brought to the emperor, and Mary Magdalene brought Tiberius a chicken egg with the words: "Christ is Risen!" However, Tiberius did not believe her words, arguing that no one can be resurrected, just as a white egg cannot turn red.
And as soon as the last word flew from his lips, a miracle happened - the chicken egg brought by Mary became completely red. Red color - symbolizes the blood shed on the cross by Jesus.
According to another legend, the beginning of the tradition of painting eggs was laid by the Virgin Mary, who painted eggs to entertain Jesus Christ when he was still a baby.
It has long been believed that the blessed Easter egg should be the first meal after a 40-day fast. Therefore, one of the simple and vital explanations also has the right to exist.
In particular, during the fast, believers limit themselves to food and do not consume meat and dairy products. This fact did not affect the hens, and they continued to lay eggs out of habit. To save the eggs from spoilage, they were boiled, and various dyes were added during cooking in order to subsequently distinguish boiled egg from raw.
There is also speculation that the custom of dyeing eggs for Easter is related to the pre-Christian celebration of spring. For many peoples, the egg was the personification of life-giving power, therefore, in the customs and beliefs of the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, the egg was a symbol of birth and rebirth.
© Sputnik / Mikhail Mordasov
Perhaps the tradition of dyeing eggs for Easter appeared and took root as a combination of several of the above versions. But in any case, the painted Easter egg is very beautiful, useful, and is an integral part of the holiday.
Originally, the color was only red, symbolizing the blood of Christ. And the most common dyes for coloring eggs, of course, were readily available such as onion peels, cherry bark, beets, and so on.
In Georgia, eggs have long been dyed with the roots of the medicinal plant Marena tinctorum (Rubia tinctorum), which are commonly called "endro".
Over time, eggs began to be dyed in other colors, using natural or food dyes. And they began to replace chicken eggs with wooden, chocolate or made of precious metals and stones.
The color of the egg depends on what it is painted with, and the color itself also matters: red is a regal color, reminiscent of God's love for the human race, and blue is the color of the Most Holy Virgin, it is associated with kindness, hope, love for one's neighbor.
White is a heavenly color and symbolizes purity and spirituality, while yellow, like orange and gold, symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Green as a fusion of blue and yellow flowers, means prosperity and rebirth.
Colorful and painted eggs give a cheerful mood and are the basis of Easter games. Everyone loves to play Easter egg games, especially children. The most famous of the games are egg rolling and egg beating.
The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.
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Traditionally, Easter preparations include baking a festive cake and painting or painting eggs. Where did this custom come from in culture? Why are Easter cakes baked for Easter? The story originates in ancient legends and covers the period of the crucifixion of Christ and life. We will talk about this today.
Why are Easter cakes baked for Easter?
Sitting down to a meal, Christ's disciples left a free space for himself, and put a slice of bread on a plate. This is how the custom arose to leave a piece of it on a specially designated table before the festive procession around the church. Then the bread was divided into small chunks and distributed to parishioners after the lapse. In our time, it is customary to give alms in this way. However, the very essence is precisely in the bread. Over time, this tradition has become firmly rooted in many homes. Each housewife began to bake a similar round-shaped bread in honor of the holiday. That is why it is Easter cake that is baked.
Why rich?
It was customary to make products only from butter dough, since during their lifetime Jesus and his disciples ate bread cakes from only and after the Resurrection - from yeast. That is why Easter cakes are baked sweet and rich. Their cylinder shape of various heights was also not chosen by chance. According to legend, the Savior's shroud was just that. This is another reason why it is customary to bake Easter cakes for Easter. They symbolize the beginning of a new path, rebirth, but most importantly - the victory of life over death.
How to bake cakes in a special way?
Having figured out why it is customary to bake Easter cakes for Easter, you need to touch on the topic of how to do this and why. The preparation of the Easter cake should be started with a calm and with a pure heart, bright thoughts and hope in my soul. Such energy will breathe into the product vitality, and then go to everyone who tries it. It is advisable to knead the dough by reading a prayer and talking with the Almighty. Baking Easter cake is not a time for rush and fuss.
The hostess should be in a peaceful state, and silence should reign in the house. Bake should be done in Maundy Thursday, after putting things in order in the home. Correctly cooked Easter cake will be stored for more than a week and not even get stale. Therefore, you should take into account all the subtleties of this sacrament. Indeed, according to popular beliefs, what the cake will be will be the same year until next Easter. There are also many signs associated with festive baking. That is why Easter cakes are baked with special zeal and diligence.
Colored eggs
Another interesting fact concerns the second holiday attribute, namely eggs. They decorate baskets and tables, adding color variety to the usual table setting. And why are Easter cakes baked on Easter? There are several origins here. One of them sounds like this. During Lent, people excluded all animal products from their diet. But, for example, chickens from this rushed no less, so the eggs had to be put somewhere. The owners came up with a way to preserve - just boil them. And in order not to be confused with fresh ones, and not to accidentally eat lying eggs, it was customary to paint these eggs.
The story of the gift
Another version tells the story of the gift of Mary Magdalene. Having come with the bright news of the resurrection, the woman presented Tiberius with an egg. This was the custom, in those days it was impossible to come to the chambers empty-handed. The emperor did not believe that anyone could rise from the dead. As well as the fact that eggs can be of any color other than white. And at the same moment, the gift became scarlet. According to the second version, as a young mother, Mary decorated eggs to amuse baby Jesus.
Flowers and eggs
From that moment on, the eggs began to be painted first, as it was a symbol of Christ's blood, and everything that was under the shell was the rebirth of a new life. Later, instead of chicken eggs began to use chocolate or wood. It was customary to diversify the scarlet and crimson colors.
However, each shade had its own meaning. For example, yellow, gold and orange is a symbol of prosperity and well-being, red is a reminder of the Lord's love for people, blue is the face Holy Mother of God, personifies hope and kindness, green expresses rebirth. The only forbidden color for dyeing easter eggs is black. It is a symbol of grief, mourning and sorrow, therefore, it is categorically not suitable for such a bright holiday.
Conclusion
Now you know why Easter cakes are baked for Easter. As you can see, there are many beliefs. All of them, of course, display fragments of history that have perpetuated in the traditions that have survived to this day. For example, it is customary to grease the cake with whipped egg whites to give it a look similar to
