ASHLEY SANTAY & ALEXANDRA SANTOLLO: Hello, It’s Ashley and Alex, and today we will be answering some questions.
SANTAY: To start with, have you ever stopped and wondered, why are we boiling eggs? Coloring them, bright, pink and blue, and hiding them in the yard?
SANTOLLO: Seriously, who thought that was a good idea?
SANTAY: Every Spring, millions of people decorate eggs for Easter. Kids hunt for them, family dyes them, grocery stores sells entire kits just for decorating. But this tradition is actually much older than most people think.
SANTOLLO: Behind every colorful egg is a story about spring, faith and centuries of traditions passed down across cultures. So, today we’re cracking open the history of history eggs, where this tradition started and what eggs symbolized. Some fun decorating ideas you can try at home.
SANTAY: First, let’s talk about eggs themselves.
SANTOLLO: Why eggs?
SANTAY: For thousands of years eggs have symbolized new life, think it. An egg looks like a simple lifeless on the outside, but in the inside, it can hold the beginning of a new life.
SANTOLLO: Because of that many ancient cultures use eggs as symbols of fertility, rebirth, and the arrival of spring. Long before Easter existed. People celebrated with spring festivals with decorated eggs to represent the world coming back after life after winter.
SANTAY: So, when Easter becomes a major holiday, the eggs were already the perfect symbol to represent renewable and a new beginnings. In Christianity eggs took a deeper meaning connecting to Jesus Christ. Some early Christians begin using eggs to represent the story of resurrection.
SANTOLLO: The egg symbolized the seal tomb comes to life out of the eggs. Symbolized the new life after death. In some traditions, eggs were dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus Christ. Cracking eggs could represent the opening of the tomb and the miracle of Resurrection.
SANTAY: In many countries, Easter is even called Pascha, linking the holiday to older traditions of renewable and celebration. Decorating eggs is not just a modern craft activity. In fact, decorative eggs goes back to thousands of years. One of the most famous traditions comes from Ukraine.
SANTOLLO: They’re called the Pysanky. Instead of simply dipping eggs in dye. Artists use a wax-resistant technique to create detailed patterns and symbols. These designs often represent things like protection, prosperity, and hope. Some Pysanky eggs are so detailed that they’re considered works of art and not just decorations. Now let’s talk about something kids love. The Easter egg hunt. The tradition might have started during Lent, a period of time before Easter when Christians avoided eating foods like eggs.
SANTAY: So, when Easter finally arrived people had lots of eggs saved up, they would decorate them, and celebrate by sharing them. Eventually eggs were hidden for children so children would search for them.
SANTOLLO: Later German immigrants brought the story of the Easter bunny to America, a rabbit that delivered eggs for children to find. And that’s how we ended up with egg hunts in backyards, and parks every spring.
SANTAY: If you want to try decorating eggs yourself, there’s tons of creative ways to do it. Here are some fun ideas to naturally dye eggs, people have been using natural ingredients for centuries. For example, onion skins can make it deep orange color, red cabbage can turn eggs blue, Turmeric creates bright yellow, beets can produce pink shades. It’s eco-friendly and surprisingly beautiful.
SANTOLLO: Another idea is modern decorating ideas. You can also try galaxy eggs with dark colors with white speckles that like stars. Marble eggs, swirling food coloring around in shaving cream. Gold leaf eggs, elegant designs that look like almost like jewelry or simple Sharpie doodles for a minimalist black and white look.
SANTAY: So, next time you see a brightly colored Easter egg.
SANTOLLO: Remember, it’s more than just decoration.
SANTAY & SANTOLLO: It’s a symbol that has traveled through ancient festivals, religious traditions and generations of families.
SANTOLLO: A simple egg carrying a story about hope and renewal and life.
SANTAY: And honestly, that might make decorating them even more fun.
