One of the most important and biggest spring holidays in Rus' was Easter. Distinctive feature and the main “character” of this holiday was a painted egg.

Since pagan times, the egg has been a symbol of life, birth and rebirth. Since ancient times, the egg has symbolized fertility and harmony in the family. In pagan times in Rus' they believed that a duck’s egg was the embryo of the whole world: “In the beginning, when there was nothing in the world except the boundless sea, a duck, flying over it, dropped the egg into the watery abyss. The egg split, and from its lower part the damp mother earth emerged, and from the upper part arose the high vault of heaven.” In mid-April, the Slavs in ancient times celebrated the wedding of heaven and earth, the readiness for fertility, for sowing. On this day, cylindrical Easter cakes were baked, symbolizing masculinity, and eggs were painted as a symbol. male power, and also made round-shaped curd dishes as a symbol of femininity. There are other customs associated with the egg. So, our ancestors wrote magical spells and prayers on bird eggs, brought them to pagan temples, and laid them at the feet of idols. Eastern Slavs They dedicated painted eggs to the most formidable deity Perun. The egg was the embodiment of the spring sun, bringing life, joy, warmth, light, the revival of nature, deliverance from the shackles of frost and snow. And the egg also served our ancestors as a symbol of life, because it is in it that the embryo of the rooster is stored - the solar bird that woke up the morning.

Why are eggs painted for Easter? I'll try to answer this question.

The simplest and most logical answer is that during the 40-day fast, the chickens did not stop laying eggs. To prevent eggs from spoiling, people simply boiled them. And in order to know which eggs were boiled and which were not, various natural dyes were added to the water. At the end of Lent, such a quantity of eggs accumulated that it was impossible to eat them, and for this reason people gave eggs as gifts to relatives and neighbors who did not have chickens on their farm. The painted eggs had their own names: those that were the same color were colored, those that were unevenly painted were speckled; and the most beautiful were pysanky - eggs, hand-painted using wax and natural dyes.

The second legend says that after Christ’s ascension into heaven, Saint Mary Magdalene came to the Roman Emperor Tiberius to announce this event. In ancient times, it was customary to make offerings to the emperor during an audience. Rich people brought jewelry, poor people - what they could. Magdalena brought the most ordinary chicken egg and said: “Christ is Risen!” To this Tiberius replied: a person cannot be resurrected and return from the dead, just as a white egg can never turn red. It was at that moment that the egg turned red in front of the emperor’s eyes, and it was from this legend that the tradition of dyeing eggs for Easter began.

According to another legend, the tradition of dyeing eggs dates back to the birth of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. This was in the second century AD. On this day, one of the hens in the household of the imperial court laid an egg with red specks. The emperor's mother considered this a sign, and it was from that time that the Romans began to traditionally paint eggs.

Turning to historical documents, you can find out that the first evidence of the use of eggs for Easter dates back to the 10th century and is written in a manuscript written on parchment. This document is in the library of the Monastery of St. Anastasia (Thessaloniki, Greece). According to the church charter, after prayers on Easter, a prayer was to be read for the blessing of eggs and cheese. The reader, kissing the brothers-monks, distributed eggs to them with the words: “Christ is Risen!” In the 13th century The abbot could even severely punish a monk if he did not eat a colored egg on Easter.

Personally, this version is closest to me: in the old days, before starting sowing, they went out into the field and sat down with their bare butt on the ground to understand whether the soil had warmed up or not. Only after this did they begin to plant grain. But in some regions there was a bug that had a special pigment in it, and partridges living and nesting in the fields loved to eat this bug. That bug overwintered underground and came to the surface when the last thin crust of ice melted and the earth warmed up. This is where the bug met the partridges, who loved to feast on this same bug before laying eggs and sitting on their eggs. Due to the pigment contained in the bug, ordinary white partridge eggs turned burgundy-brown along with the droppings. It was thanks to partridges that people understood that it was time to start sowing, and in order not to sit with their bare butts on the ground, farmers simply looked into the nests and looked at the color of the eggs. Seeing that the eggs were colored with the pigment of a bug, they took one such egg and went to visit, where they gave the owners a beautiful egg from the doorway, notifying them that the sowing time had come.

In the old days, there were also such fun things as beating and rolling eggs and this was an Easter tradition. For example: two eggs hit each other with both ends. The sharp end was called the toe, the blunt end was called the heel. First they fought with their toes, and then with their heels. If both ends broke, the testicle was counted. The winner took it for himself. The egg, broken at one end, was divided in half. They rolled colored eggs.

For the same purpose, eggs were rolled on the table towards each other. Another fun thing was rolling eggs off the mound. The egg that rolled down had to hit someone lying on the ground, then the player took the egg for himself. If someone’s egg broke when dropped or hit, it was eliminated from the game along with the player. Such fun had deep symbolism: skating meant awakening and welcoming spring. It was from rolling eggs that the Russian game - babki - was born (I will write about it separately in a series of notes on traditional Russian games and amusements).

First, painted eggs (then oval-shaped animal bones) were laid out on the line, lining up on the ground in one line. From a certain distance, players threw a linen ball at them. The egg that was knocked out was considered won. The egg was taken by the one who knocked it out.

For such fun it was necessary to choose the strongest eggs. Their strength was tested by knocking them on the teeth. If the sound was dull and the shell was soft, the choice was considered correct for the game. In those days there were also cunning people who sucked out the contents of the egg through holes in the shell, and then carefully poured tree resin into it. Such a thoughtful manipulation, of course, did not allow the egg to beat.

The very first egg given for Easter had protective properties, and the shell was not thrown away after the egg was eaten, as it was considered healing. An Easter egg was placed behind the goddess and then, if necessary, given to the sick; with its help they extinguished fires, began sowing, and saved livestock from death. This egg was stored until next Easter.

Everyone paints and eats eggs for Easter - both believers and those for whom it is just a fun custom. And really, what is Easter without eggs? After all, an egg is not only a symbol of life, fertility and the spring rebirth of nature. Long before Jesus Christ, the egg was considered a prototype of the Universe itself. And the oval shape of the egg among the Greeks symbolized a miracle.

The history of dyeing eggs for Easter dates back to long before Christianity. Carved ostrich eggs dating back about 60,000 years have been found in Africa. Painted ostrich eggs, as well as gold and silver ones, are often found in the burials of ancient Sumerians and Egyptians, dating back to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. e.

They painted eggs for the pre-Christian celebration of spring. In those days, the egg for many peoples was the personification of the creative power of nature. The entire universe was imagined to have emerged from an egg. The attitude towards the egg as a symbol of birth was reflected in the beliefs and customs of the peoples of Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

The Slavs associated the egg with the fertility of the earth, with the revival of nature in the spring. Researchers note that the pysanky reflect the archaic ideas of the Slavic peoples about the universe, and it is possible that they existed among the Slavs before they adopted Christianity.

The custom of dyeing eggs for Easter is symbolized by the name of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. It is believed that on the day he was born, one of his mother's hens laid an egg marked with red dots. This was interpreted as a sign that a future emperor had been born. Over time, the Romans became accustomed to sending each other colored eggs as congratulations.

There are several reasons why Orthodox Christians paint eggs red for Easter. There is one explanation that this is done because on Easter holidays the egg is stained with the blood of Christ.

The tradition of painting eggs for Easter is connected, according to another version, with the fact that after the death of Christ, seven Jews gathered for a feast. Among other dishes on the table were fried chicken And boiled eggs. One of the guests, remembering Christ, said that he would rise on the third day, to which the owner of the house replied that this would be possible only if the chicken on the table came to life and the eggs turned red. And at that very moment the chicken came to life, and the eggs turned red.

However, the most common version in the Christian world is this. After the resurrection of Christ, his followers dispersed different countries, spreading the news everywhere that Christ has conquered death. And Mary Magdalene came with this news to the Roman Emperor Tiberius himself. As a gift to the emperor, Mary presented an egg as a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. The emperor doubted this and said that just as an egg does not turn from white to red, so the dead do not rise from the dead. The egg immediately turned red. Therefore, despite the fact that eggs are painted in different colors, the traditional color is considered to be red, the color of life and victory.

There is also a completely everyday explanation for why eggs are painted for Easter. Its supporters argue that since you cannot eat eggs during the forty-day Lent, and this cannot be explained to laying hens, during the fast a huge number of eggs accumulated that could not be eaten immediately. To prevent them from disappearing, they were boiled, and in order not to be confused with uncooked ones, they were painted with natural dyes, in particular onions, which gave them a dark red color. Over time, economic necessity turned into a festive ritual.

Cooking eggs before Easter Maundy Thursday, V classic version they are painted with onion skins to give a deep and rich shade. The husks are collected in advance, starting almost from the New Year. After all, the more it is, the easter eggs They will turn out bright and beautiful.

Hello friends. Holiday coming soon Happy Easter, and what would a holiday be without colorful Easter eggs? Every child knows what's on holiday Christ's Resurrection Be sure to bake Easter cakes and paint eggs. How many of you know why eggs are painted for Easter? They are an important detail for a Christian holiday.

Ancient legends - painted eggs for easter

There is a biblical legend 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 everyone who comes to Tiberius is obliged to bring gifts. They brought all the most valuable things. 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 extended her hands to him with a gift.

Tiberius did not believe the woman and replied that the dead cannot come to life, just as no gift can turn from white to red. But imagine his surprise when he saw how it turned red before his eyes.

This legend started Orthodox tradition dyeing Easter eggs red as a sign of true faith. Painted eggs are a symbol of the miraculous Resurrection of Christ, the purification of the soul and the beginning of a new life. Sanctified were attributed wonderful properties for protection against diseases. They were crumbled onto the graves of the dead, commemorating them. There is another legend that is more commonplace.

During Lent, Orthodox believers did not eat eggs, and chickens did not stop laying eggs. They were boiled to preserve them. Painted eggshells so as not to be confused with fresh ones. Giving Easter eggs, a method of worship for Christians. If the divine Resurrection of Jesus did not happen, then, according to the teachings of the Apostle Paul, new faith would be pointless. Christ rose as the only one born on earth, showing the people Divine power. Church scripture testifies to this.

Easter egg symbolism

Magical properties were attributed to the egg even before the era of Christianity. When excavating ancient burials, real eggs are found, made from all kinds of materials. It is a symbol of purity, the birth of new life.

Appearance christian symbol came to us from the thousand-year-old customs of the religions 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 colored eggs for Easter is in writing on parchment dating back to 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 says: “After the Easter service, read a prayer for the consecration of eggs and cheese. Afterwards, distribute the blessed eggs to the brethren with the words Christ is Risen!” The abbot could punish a monk who refused to eat a red egg on a holiday. Information says that the history of the Easter egg goes back to the time of Mary Magdalene. The dyeing ritual has been going on for more than 2000 years.

Celebration in Rus'

In Rus', Easter began to be celebrated in the 10th century. The holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring equinox and the March full moon.

The festivities were accompanied by various pagan rituals, but were considered sanctified by God's grace. They baked Easter cakes, made homemade cheese, and painted eggs red. Blessed eggs were placed in a barrel of grain and stored until sowing. It was believed that the harvest would be large. Celebrations in Rus' were massive. People rejoiced at everything, life, the coming of spring and warmth. Easter is celebrated in early spring, when nature wakes up and 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 Holy Saturday A large worship service is held. People rush to the temple from all over the surrounding area. On this night, all churches are crowded 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 homeland, festive services were held in the Assumption Cathedral. The king was sure to be there. He added greatness to what was happening. Lieutenant colonels standing at the doors made sure that beggars did not enter the cathedral. After the prayers, the king venerated the holy images that the clergy presented to him. He gave everyone 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 and gave Easter eggs to everyone. Later he went out to the cathedral and paid attention to everyone who came up.

Holy Easter is celebrated for three days. During the first year, the sovereign traveled through places of detention, said to the convicts, “Christ is risen for you,” gave everyone something to wear and sent food for breaking the fast. And the queen at one time fed all the poor.

Painting methods

Let us return from ancient Moscow celebrations to our time. How is the great holiday going now? While the church choir is singing, parishioners hug each other, kiss each other three times, say: “Christ is Risen,” and answer, “Truly He is Risen.” Dyed eggs are presented in different colors.

They are called krashenki or pysanka. Krashenki - boiled and painted, they are a symbol for today. Easter eggs - painted, not boiled, fertilized - are a thing of the past.

You can paint your testicles a large number options. In villages, the method of cooking in onion skins was more often used. The darker the husk, the richer the color. They usually turned out burgundy. The method is effective and safe.

Special food dyes are now sold, but they get your hands dirty because they don’t stick to the shell. They are used to color boiled eggs.

The custom of exchanging colored eggs 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, there were bone, wooden, glass, and porcelain ones.

There are many superstitions and legends associated with the custom of christening. It was believed that when you pronounce the greeting “Christ is Risen – He is Truly Risen,” you make a wish and it will definitely 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, elderly people, while combing their hair, wish for as many grandchildren as there are hairs on their heads. Upon returning from the prayer service, the tables were set different dishes to break the fast. The tables were set very richly, as if for a wedding.

Previously, on Easter we went from house to house with songs praising the Lord, just like at Christmas with carols. They were treated to goodies or given money. It was usually the guys who went.

Easter games

During the holiday there were games with Easter eggs; they were the main entertainment these days. According to the rules of one of them, which still exists today, a person held a painted egg in his hand so that a sharp or blunt edge was visible. The second one hit him with another egg. Whoever's testicle broke lost and gave his to the winner.

In another game, “rolling eggs” is done from the tubercles. According to the rules, you need to roll the egg and hit the others that lie below. If this was successful, the person took it for himself.

Ancient customs have been preserved. Today, on this significant day for all believers, churches are again filled with the prayers of thousands of people. Once destroyed temples are being restored. During Holy Week, families prepare for the holiday, clean the house, paint eggs, and bake fragrant Easter cakes.

“An egg is precious for Christ’s day,” says the famous Russian proverb.

Easter eggs are an attribute of one of the main religious holidays of Christians - the day of remembrance of the “miraculous Resurrection” of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. According to ancient church tradition, the first Easter egg was presented by Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Soon after the ascension of Christ the Savior into heaven, Mary Magdalene appeared for the Gospel sermon in Rome. In those days, it was customary to bring gifts to the emperor when visiting the emperor. The wealthy brought jewelry, and the poor brought what they could. Therefore, Mary Magdalene, who had nothing but faith in Jesus, handed Emperor Tiberius a chicken egg with the exclamation: “Christ is Risen!”

The emperor, doubting what was said, noted that no one can rise from the dead and this is as difficult to believe as the fact that a white egg can turn red. Tiberius did not have time to finish these words, and the egg began to turn from white to bright red. Tradition contributed to the fact that this custom took root. For bearers of faith in Christ, painted eggs have always served as a symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus, and with it purification in the name of a new better life. The red coloring of the eggs symbolized the blood of Christ and at the same time served as a symbol of the Resurrection. And if a person lives according to the Christian commandments, he joins in the redemptive merits of the Savior and in new life. It was believed that blessed egg can put out a fire, with its help they looked for a cow that was missing or lost in the forest, an egg was passed along the ridge of the cattle so that it did not get sick and its fur was smooth. They washed themselves with the eggs and stroked their faces with them to make them beautiful and rosy. Shells and crumbs from breaking the fast were mixed with grains for sowing, and they were also sprinkled on the graves of deceased relatives.

The symbol of Easter (“Holiday yellow”, as it is also called in Europe) became an egg a long time ago. Why? Perhaps for a very prosaic reason. According to one version, since during a long fast the chickens continued to lay eggs and the diet product could spoil, the owners tried in every possible way to embellish it, paint it more interestingly, in order to feed family members and guests as much as possible.

By giving each other Easter eggs, Christians profess faith in their Resurrection. If the Resurrection of Christ had not occurred, then, as the Apostle Paul teaches, the new faith would have no basis and value, it would have been in vain - “not saving and not saving us.” But Christ was resurrected, resurrected as the first born on earth, and thereby revealed his power and Divine grace. This is what the biblical legend testifies to.

But why exactly did the egg become one of the proofs of the Resurrection of the Son of God? In ancient times, eggs were given magical meaning. In graves, mounds, and ancient burials dating back to the pre-Christian era, eggs are found, both natural and made from various materials (marble, clay, etc.). During excavations in Etruscan tombs, carved and natural ostrich and chicken eggs, sometimes even painted ones, were discovered. All the mythologies of the world keep legends associated with the egg as a symbol of life, renewal, as the source of origin of everything that exists in this world.

For example, even the ancient Egyptians, every spring, when the Nile flooded, exchanged painted eggs and hung them in their sanctuaries and temples. In Egyptian mythology, the egg represents the potential for life and immortality - the seed of existence and its secret. The egg, a universal human symbol of the creation of the world and creation, is also mentioned in the Indian Vedas (the golden egg from which Brahma hatched). In India, all birds egg laying, are called “twice-born”, since hatching from an egg means a second birth.

In the East it was believed that there was a time when chaos reigned everywhere, and this chaos was in huge egg, in which all forms of life were hidden. The fire warmed the shell, giving the egg the warmth of creation. Thanks to this divine fire, the mythical creature Panu emerged from the egg. Everything weightless became Heaven, and everything dense became earth. Panu connected Heaven with Earth, created wind, space, clouds, thunder, lightning. To heat the emerging earth, Panu gave it the Sun, and to remind it of the cold - the Moon. Thanks to Pan, the Sun warmed the earth, the Moon shone, planets and stars were born.

Since ancient times, the egg has served as a symbol of the spring sun, bringing with it life, joy, warmth, light, the revival of nature, deliverance from the shackles of frost and snow - in other words, the transition from non-existence to existence. It was once customary to offer an egg as a simple small gift to the pagan gods, to give eggs to friends and benefactors on New Year's Day and on birthdays. Rich, wealthy people often offered gold or gilded eggs, symbolizing the sun, instead of colored chicken eggs. The ancient Romans had a custom at the beginning of the festive meal to eat baked egg- this was symbolically associated with the successful start of a new business. It is interesting that Russian landowners of the 18th century also started the day with a soft-boiled egg - it was believed that a liquid yolk for breakfast contributed to the good absorption of the rest of the food during the day and “lubricated” the stomach.

For our ancestors, the egg served as a symbol of life. It contains the embryo of the solar bird - the Rooster, who woke up the morning.

Piero della Francesca depicted an ostrich egg in the altarpiece of Monte Feltro (Milan, Brera, 15th century) above the Madonna and Child. Here it serves as an additional attribute of the legend about the miraculous birth of the God-man Jesus and points to the world that rests on Christian faith. The Byzantine theologian and philosopher John of Damascus emphasized that heaven and earth are like an egg in everything: the shell is the sky, the chaff is the clouds, the white is water, and the yolk is the earth. From the dead matter of the egg life arises; it contains possibility, idea, movement and development. According to legend, even the dead the egg gives the power of life; with the help of the egg they feel the spirit of life and gain lost strength. There is a primordial belief that thanks to the miraculous power of the egg, you can come into contact with the dead, and they seem to come to life for a while. If you put a painted egg on the grave - the first one received on Easter - the deceased will hear everything that is said to him, that is, he will, as it were, return to life and to what makes the living person happy or sad.

Orthodox symbolism Easter eggs are rooted in the thousand-year-old traditions of the religions of many peoples of the world. At the same time, in Orthodoxy it receives a significant semantic addition: the egg in it, first of all, is a symbol of bodily rebirth in Christ, a symbol of the jubilant joy of the Resurrection from the dead, the victory of Life over death. Russian folk legends tell that at the moment of the Resurrection of Christ, the stones on Calvary turned into red eggs. The Orthodox symbolism of the egg also has its roots in the pre-Christian beliefs of the Slavs, who from ancient times were characterized by the cult of ancestors, the veneration of the immortal souls of the dead, who were considered sacred persons.


We find the first written evidence of colored eggs for Holy Easter in a manuscript written on parchment and dating back to the 10th century, from the library of the monastery of St. Anastasia, near Thessaloniki in Greece. At the end of the church charter given in the manuscript, after the prayers for Easter, a prayer was also to be read for the blessing of eggs, cheese, and the abbot, kissing the brethren, was to distribute eggs to them with the words: “Christ is Risen!” According to the manuscript “Nomocanon Photius” (XIII century), the abbot can punish a monk who does not eat a red egg on Easter Day, because he is opposed to the apostolic traditions. Thus, the custom of giving eggs for Easter dates back to apostolic times, when Mary Magdalene was the first to set an example for believers of this joyful gift-giving.

The celebration of Easter in Rus' was introduced at the end of the 10th century. Orthodox Easter We celebrate on the first Sunday following spring equinox and the March full moon.

Easter in Rus' was also accompanied by rituals that came from pagan times, but now sanctified by the Light of Christ. This is the consecration of Easter cakes, the making of cheese mass, the dyeing of eggs... At Easter, an egg was placed in a tub of wheat grain and these seeds were saved for sowing.

Easter coincides with the time when spring comes into its own. Since ancient times, boiled eggs were painted in different colors to mark this day as a sign of flowering. These were like flowers of Yarila-God, they were laid out on green grass. This greenery was grown like this: they took hemp tow and fiber, wrapped the grains in them, watered them on a plate every day, and by Easter they sprouted as grass. They laid eggs on it, prepared all sorts of dishes, the meaning of which is Spring, Warmth, Fire, Life, Love.

In Rus', according to the researcher and collector of Russians folk traditions Yu. P. Mirolyubova, Easter has always had a universal, comprehensive character. On this day we rejoiced at everything: warmth, light, sky, earth, relatives, strangers... The Feast of the Resurrection of Christ is also the resurrection of nature, the renewal of life. Russian spring is distinguished by its extraordinary tenderness, warmth and constancy, and Easter is the very Grace of life. For there is no death! It was trampled by the one who rose from the grave on the Third Day.

Every nation has its own holidays, but among them there is a holiday of holidays, the most important. Such an event in Rus' for many centuries was Holy Easter. The church celebration is truly grandiose. The Church is gradually preparing for the joy of the Resurrection of Christ. The pre-Easter week is filled with days of increasing tension in religious life.

As soon as the spring sun has time to peek out, nature will come to life, as everyone, “young and old,” is preparing to joyfully celebrate “the holiday of the holiday and the triumph of celebrations” - Easter, which is celebrated no earlier than March 22 and no later than April 25 (according to the old calendar ), on the first Sunday following the spring equinox and the March full moon. In many places in Russia, the day of the Resurrection of Christ is called a great day, since there is a belief that proves the greatness and holiness of this holiday, that after the Resurrection of Christ the sun does not set during the entire holy week, and the day of the great holiday is therefore equal to seven ordinary days. The night of Great Saturday presents a wonderful, majestic spectacle, both in the capitals and everywhere in Rus', wherever there is Orthodox churches. Orthodox Christians rush here through fields, through meadows, through forests, along paths, along roads, and those who are late to get to the temple, which is already crowded with people, are located around the churches in anticipation of the procession. In Little Russia, bonfires are lit around churches, in the capitals everything is illuminated, and lit torches shine on the towers of church bell towers. But then the first bell rang, the whole crowd shook, candles were lit in the hands of the Orthodox, and the clergy in bright robes with crosses, with banners, with icons appeared, and the voice of the church choir proclaimed great joy: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven." In Novgorod, after entering procession of the cross through the northern doors and passing against the flow of the sun, the bishop marked the Korsun gates with a censer and opened them with a cross, the singers sang: “Christ is risen from the dead, come upon death by death and give life to the grave,” which is still preserved in the church life of the Old Believers. In the same way, according to the old charter, the archpriest read the explanatory Gospel for 3 songs of the canon, the saint himself in the altar during the celebration of Christ approached each priest; kissed the icons they held, kissed them and gave them two eggs. Upon leaving the altar, he himself, in turn, received an egg from the boyar, the authorities and the people.

In Moscow, a solemn Divine service in Easter night took place in the Assumption Cathedral, in the presence of the Tsar, who imparted impressiveness and solemnity with his greatness church rituals, generally similar to the real ones. Streltsy lieutenant colonels were stationed at the doors of the cathedral, who were obliged to ensure that only those dressed in golden caftans entered the cathedral. After the laudatory stichera, the sovereign venerated the images presented to him by the clergy, and kissed the elders on the lips, and gave the younger ones a hand and decorated them with red or gilded eggs, either chicken and goose, or wooden, chiseled, painted in gold with bright colors depicting flowers. , birds and animals. Then the boyars approached by rank to kiss the royal hand, first the eldest. After Matins, the Emperor went to the Archangel Cathedral to “confess Christ with his parents,” i.e. bow to their ashes. In the court Cathedral of the Annunciation, he made Christ “in the mouth” with his confessor and also gave him and others eggs. He did the same thing upstairs, i.e. in the palace, he celebrated Christ with the boyars who remained “to take care of” royal family during the sovereign's exit to the cathedrals. In the golden chamber, the spiritual authorities especially glorified Christ, after which the king marched to congratulate the queen and her children. With them he usually attended mass in one of the palace churches, and for late mass he went out to the Assumption Cathedral in all regalia. After this mass, all the courtiers, not excluding all kinds of craftsmen, were blessed by the king with his high attention, allowing them to approach his hand.

On the very first day of St. Easter, the king went to prisons and, showing the best example of Christian humility and mercy, said to the prisoners: “Christ has risen for you too,” and gave each one either new fur coat, or a shirt, etc. and sent food for breaking the fast: “to the best in the part of the roast, and to them and enough for everyone in the part of the boiled part, part of the lamb, part of the ham; and porridge from sinful cereals and pies with eggs or meat, whichever is more suitable. But buy per person for bread and for two-money rolls." More meek and less guilty criminals were given three cups, and the rest were given two, and two and one cup of honey. And in Tsaritsyna’s golden chamber at that time they fed the poor brethren.

From Novgorod and Moscow antiquity, let’s turn to the present time and take a quick look at the celebration of the “great day” in Mother Rus'. When singing the troparion, we will be enlightened with triumph, and we will embrace each other, begin by kissing each other three times and greeting each other with the words “Christ is Risen” and the response “Truly He is Risen”, and they give each other eggs, called depending on the method of coloring: painted - “pysanka”, painted - “colors”. The difference between them is that for dyeing they used boiled eggs, which were then eaten, but for pysanky they used raw and necessarily fertilized eggs. Later, eggs made of wood (they were called “eggs”), porcelain, silver, with decorations made of enamel, beads, and precious stones appeared. There are many ways to color eggs, in which traditions are intertwined with the imagination and invention of the performers. The Easter egg is especially respected among the people, received first: it has the ability to open evil spirits, it will never go bad until next year. Of course we're talking about about those eggs that are made of wood and stone, glass, crystal and porcelain and are intended for storage in the “red corner” - in front of icons and lamps.

Tradition of exchange colored eggs Easter has long roots in Russia. It is known that during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, up to 37 thousand eggs were prepared for distribution at Easter. Along with natural (chicken, swan, goose, pigeon, duck) painted eggs, there were wooden and bone, carved and painted eggs. Naturally, the size of natural eggs was a kind of standard for the size of eggs made of wood, bone, porcelain, glass, and stone.

In Little Russia there are many superstitions associated with the “confession of Christ” itself, such as, for example, the fact that if you don’t answer the first greeting “Christ is Risen” with “Truly He is Risen”, but conceive a wish, it will certainly come true. Returning home after Easter Matins, people admire the rising sun playing in the sky and sharing the general rejoicing of both nature and people in the revived life. In central Russia, children sing a song addressed to the sun: Little sun, little bucket, look out the window! Sunshine, go for a ride, red, dress up, etc.

And old people comb their hair with the wish that they have as many grandchildren as there are hairs on their heads; old women wash themselves with gold, silver and red eggs in the hope of getting rich, and young women climb onto the roofs to better see how the red sun will play and have fun.

In houses and huts, by the time the family returns from church from Matins, the table has already been laid, laden with all kinds of dishes for breaking the fast, which is especially abundant in Little Russia, where a bad owner will not fill the table with pig, sausage, Easter and dyed eggs, and to speak of wealthy landowners there is nothing - there is no way to list all the food and drink that decorate Easter table. Both on Christmas and on Easter week the clergy goes from house to house to glorify Christ. Worldly people - guys in parties of 10-15 people with a lead singer or "pochinalitsik" at the head - walk around the villages with volochny songs reminiscent of Christmas carols, and sing them under the windows, and sometimes they go into the hut for the purpose of treating themselves. Volochebniks usually receive fried and boiled food, or even money, from their owners and divide everything among the choir members. Sometimes the part of the volcanoes is accompanied by a musician with a violin or pipe.

Easter was also accompanied by games with Easter eggs, which constituted one of the main holiday entertainments in Russia. The Slavs know several types of such games, but the most widespread was rolling Easter eggs - on the ground from hillocks or from special trays. The essence of the game was to roll an egg off the tray and hit another egg with it - one of those that was already lying below; When this was successful, the man took an egg from the ground.

Ancient traditions of celebrating Easter have survived to this day. Countless people fill churches again during Easter services, they are restored and reopened dedicated to the holiday ancient churches. Like centuries ago, in many families on Thursday Holy Week paint eggs and good friday the houses are full of the smells of baking Easter cakes.

source http://www.proshkolu.ru/user/allo4ka2010/blog/98357/&tra ...

Unusual ways to color eggs for Easter.

We are used to the fact that eggs are usually colored with onion skins, but there are many various options how to color eggs...

Ocher paints like this:

4 cups red onion skins. Boil eggs for 30 minutes - 1 hour.

Depending on the soaking time, the eggs will turn from bright scarlet to dark red.

Gilding

Add 2-3 tablespoons of turmeric to hot water and boil to make the color more intense.

Pink you can get it like this

Soak boiled eggs in cranberry or beet juice.

Purple

Add violet flowers to hot water and soak overnight.

If you add a little to the water lemon juice, the color will be lavender.

Blue

Two heads of finely chopped red cabbage, 500 ml water and 6 tbsp white vinegar.

Soak overnight to create a deep blue color.

Green

Add 1 teaspoon of soda to the mixture to obtain a purple color or boil eggs with spinach.

Lavender color

Soak eggs in grape juice.

Pastel colors for painting

For soft pinks and blues, rub the shells with a handful of blueberries or cranberries.

Beige color

4 cups yellow onion skins. Boil for 30 minutes - 1 hour.

The amount of husk and the duration of boiling affect the color saturation.

Dark brown

Boil eggs in 250 ml of coffee.

We dye eggs with natural dyes.

There are many ways to paint and decorate eggs for Easter. You can simply paint it, or you can decoupage, marmorate, paint using tape, fabric and lace. Many of these methods involve the use of synthetic dyes. However, if you are against everything unnatural, try using natural dyes. They are often easily accessible and at hand - in food products.

The technology for painting eggs with natural dyes is basically the same. First you need to extract the pigment from the product. To do this, boil it and let it brew. Then the eggs are dipped into the cool infusion and boiled for 10 minutes. To make the shells more saturated in color, wait until the eggs cool directly in the solution.

From time immemorial, eggs have been colored with onion skins. After all, onion skins are not just a cheap dye,

but also a powerful bactericidal and antimicrobial agent. The more husks in the solution, the more beautiful and brighter color eggs

Dry nettle or spinach turns eggs light green.

A pack of dried nettles from a pharmacy or a bag of frozen spinach will be enough for 3-4 liters of water.

When boiled, red cabbage gives a rich purple color, and with its help the shells of white eggs turn blue.

For 3-4 liters of water you will need 0.5 kg of cabbage.

To dye eggs a beautiful orange-yellow color, use turmeric or saffron.

The proportions are as follows: 1 sachet - for 2 liters of water.

Coffee turns eggs light brown (almost the same color as natural brown eggs).

In order not to “translate” ground coffee, instant coffee is suitable for these purposes. For 3 liters of water, 6 tablespoons of powder are enough.

Black currants, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, viburnum, blueberries - each of these berries can give the egg shell a shade from soft pink to lilac. But the coloring technology is different: rub the shell of the finished boiled egg with fresh or defrosted berries. Blot excess berry juice with a napkin and leave the egg to dry

It would seem that beets should paint eggs beautifully pink, because she always paints her fingers and leaves pink marks on the fabric. Alas! With its help, the egg will turn marble-brown. The coloring method is as follows: roll the finished boiled egg in fresh beets grated on a fine grater. After this, wipe with a napkin and let dry. If you first squeeze the juice out of three root vegetables and add 1/2 teaspoon of 9 percent vinegar to it, the shell will acquire a uniform pink-brown hue.

EASTER EGGS USED WITH DECOUPAGE TECHNIQUE.

Materials: boiled eggs (white), starch, water, brush, napkins, food coloring (gold, silver).
Working time: from 1 hour (depending on the number of eggs)

We need napkins with small patterns. We remove the two bottom layers of the napkins and make blanks of motifs - we make small scraps of flowers by hand.

We begin to distribute the motifs on the surface of the egg. We do this with a brush and water. The main thing is to try to smooth out all the wrinkles.


We make a paste from starch. I used corn starch, but you can also use potato starch.
We cook the paste as for gluing wallpaper (if anyone else remembers)). I took 2 tsp. starch, about 50 ml of water and heated in the microwave - 20 sec - stir - 20 sec - stir - 10 sec - stir - 10 sec - stir - ready.))
After all the motifs have been distributed, coat well with paste and leave to dry.
Instead of starch, you can use whipped egg white.


After all the eggs have dried (10-15 minutes), cover them with a decorative layer. To do this, add food coloring to a small amount of paste.


It is better to dry decorated eggs on a wire rack.

Eggs with green cream

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1 - 2 teaspoons regular drinking yogurt
• a few sprigs of parsley
• several sprigs of dill
• 1/3 bunch of onion
• A handful of watercress
• to taste - salt, ground pepper

Preparation: hard boil the eggs, cool in cold water. Peel the shells.

Chop the eggs nicely. Using a tiny spoon, carefully scoop out the yolk.

Be careful not to burst the white.

Grind the yolks and all other ingredients in a blender.

Then squeeze the mixture into the egg whites in spring sauce

Eggs marinated in multi-colored marinades...

Everything as in the recipe above, but instead of beets for coloring the marinade

add one of the natural dyes,

bring to a boil and cool covered:
- pink - cranberry, viburnum juice;
- red - a decoction of onion peels, strained through cheesecloth;
- green - stewed spinach;
- purple - red cabbage, grated,

stewed until soft with a small amount water or beet juice;
- yellow - turmeric and saffron, dissolved in hot water;
- blue - a handful of frozen blueberries (first grate the peeled eggs with mashed berries,

then put the crushed berries in the marinade and boil);
- orange - carrot juice;
- brown “chocolate” - strong brew or strong coffee.
You can prepare the marinade to your liking: add salt, sugar to taste to the coloring ingredient,

vinegar or citric acid, spices, bring to a boil and let cool.
You can add different spices and herbs to different marinades of each color - coriander, basil, marjoram, etc.
Experiment, the finished marinade should be pleasant to taste.
Peel the cooled eggs, place them in a chilled marinade for at least a day,

Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator.
To ensure even marinating, shake the dishes occasionally.

Apply various patterns using duct tape onto the egg.

Alternately dip the egg into the paint and remove pieces of tape - experiment!

Ideas for coloring eggs for Easter.

For painting we will need:

Dry the eggs with a napkin and remove the rubber bands

2nd method of coloring:
Wrap the eggs in napkins on all sides.

Wear gloves, take an egg in your hand and drop different dyes on all sides with a spoon on top of the napkin.

Let sit for a while and remove the stained napkins.

3rd coloring method:
Take electrical tape and cut into long thin strips.

Glue the stripes onto the white eggs. Then color it in dye.

Glue more stripes on top and paint them with a different dye color.

Dry the eggs with a napkin and remove the electrical tape.

4th method:
Pour different dyes into small glasses at the bottom.

Place eggs in cups and let stand for about 5 minutes.

Then add a little water to the dye and let it sit for another 5 minutes.

then add a little more water and let it sit.

Grease the eggs sunflower oil for shine.

It turns out the principle of painting in one color, but with a stretch from dark to light.

WE PAINT EGGS IN AN ORIGINAL WAY FOR EASTER... "MARBLE" PAINTED EGGS

EASTER IS SOON, SO WE WILL BE PAINTING EGGS, I WANT THEM TO BE BEAUTIFUL AND ORIGINAL

And, most importantly, the painting method has been proven for centuries, is environmentally friendly and safe.

Painting with paints sold in stores is quite dangerous, especially for children. PAINTING MARBLE EGGS...

TEAR THE HUSK VERY VERY FINELY, THE SIZE OF A NAIL..

STEP #1 DIP THE EGG IN A BOWL OF WATER..

STEP No. 2 COVER THE EGG IN THE HUSK, IF IT DOESN’T STICK BADLY, FORCE FORCE...

STEP #3 PLACE THE EGG ON GAUZE AND ADD A LITTLE MORE HUSKS.

STEP No. 4 TIE THE GAUZE TIGHT, DISTRIBUTE THE HUSK CAREFULLY WHERE IT HAS SHIFTED..


STEP #5 CUT OFF THE EXCESS..


STEP No. 6.. SET THE EGGS TO COOK, ADD. A SPOON OF SALT


STEP No. 7 ADD GREEN... (add 1-2 bubbles depending on how many eggs you boil,

don’t be afraid, the pan washes well, but I advise you to wear rubber gloves on your hands)


STEP No. 8 AFTER BOILING, COOK FOR 7 MINUTES..


STEP No. 9 WASH THE BOILED EGGS UNDER RUNNING WATER..


STEP No. 10 REMOVE GAUZE AND HUSK...


STEP #11 RINSE WITH WATER AGAIN...


STEP No. 12 DRY THE EGGS AND RUBBED WITH VEGETABLE OIL FOR A SHINE...


"MARBLE" PAINTS ARE READY


If you pass onion peels through a coffee grinder (meat grinder, blender), the painting will be even more original.

More ways to paint eggs for Easter using the most environmentally friendly substance, onion skins

Simple egg

To color the eggs, take a pan with onion skins, pour water into it and add the eggs.

Cook over low heat for half an hour.

Turn off the heat and leave to cool.

After the eggs have cooled, take them out - the eggs are ready.

Leaf print on an egg.

To obtain this effect, you need to tightly tie some leaves to the egg using gauze.

And boil the egg in the onion peel.
Leaves can be taken from any indoor plants.

To obtain a striped egg, rubber bands are put on it.

When boiling eggs in onion skins, the gum will leave a light imprint.

To obtain the marble effect, the egg is first covered with onion peels,

and then wrapped in cotton cloth.

The more folds in the fabric, the better the marbled effect.

The fabric is fixed with a rubber band and the egg is boiled in the husk.

To obtain this effect, a raw wet egg is rolled in dry rice,

wrap tightly in cheesecloth, distributing the rice evenly over the egg

Amazing ideas on how to decorate Easter eggs. What a bright holiday - Easter! I just want to do something beautiful, joyful and amazing!

Rainbow on a shell

Baked stuffed eggs.

Boiled egg-5 pcs

Spinach - I had 1 small bunch

Onion - 1 piece medium

Butter -50 gr

Hard cheese-50 gr

Canned tomatoes without skin -250 gr

Pepper and salt as desired.

Cut the onion into cubes and simmer in butter with spinach

Cut the egg in half, remove the yolk

Grind the yolk, cheese, onion, spinach and pepper using a blender.

In Orthodoxy, traditions that have been formed over centuries are very important, and that is why it is worth knowing the story of why eggs are painted red for Easter and where this tradition came from. There is really no consensus on this matter. Various hypotheses and interpretations of this interesting tradition. Moreover, there are several purely religious assumptions and legends that explain the need for dyeing Easter eggs. Scientists put forward their hypotheses. It’s worth making a reservation right away: Orthodox versions are mostly associated with miracles. Scientific assumptions are more realistic. So it’s worth getting acquainted with both those and other stories.

The scientific version of why Easter eggs are painted

So, where did the tradition of painting eggs different colors for Easter come from? She appeared for a reason. However, scientists do not connect the history of colored Easter eggs with some kind of religious miracle. Everything was simply determined by the peculiar living conditions. In the old days there were no refrigerators. And during the period of Lent, which lasts 6 weeks, eating eggs is prohibited. Accordingly, to preserve valuable and useful product it was impossible without the cold. That is why they tried to boil the eggs in advance. To distinguish boiled eggs from raw ones, it was customary to mark the former in one way or another.

Note! The easiest way to do this was to use food coloring: onion feathers, turmeric, etc.

At the end of Lent, that is, on Easter, it was possible to break the fast and enjoy the food that had not been eaten for 40 days. Now it’s clear why eggs are painted for Easter - Easter tradition explained by the practical necessity of our ancestors.

Church explanations of the custom of dyeing eggs for Easter

There are several other versions in Orthodoxy that explain where the custom of painting eggs for Easter came from. Most of these Easter legends are associated with the name of Jesus Christ and the miracle of his resurrection. It is impossible to call any of the versions official, but they all have the right to exist.

Miracle of Mary Magdalene

The history of the custom of painting eggs for Easter is often associated with the name of Mary Magdalene. By the way, this version is considered the most popular.
In Orthodoxy, it is believed that Mary Magdalene started the tradition of making red eggs for Easter. At the resurrection of Christ, she, along with other followers of Jesus, went to different countries to talk about the miracle that happened.
A believing woman took the risk of going with the good news to Tiberius. But the Roman emperor accepted only those people who could make a donation. If the visitor was too poor, then he should bring at least an egg. Mary Magdalene did just that. She told Caesar about the miracle, but he only laughed.

He said that a dead person cannot come to life, just as an ordinary egg cannot suddenly turn red. But immediately the egg literally filled with blood and turned crimson-red. This is such an interesting Easter legend.
How true this story is, which explains why eggs are painted for Easter, is unknown, since there is no mention of it in written sources. But in the church this is often exactly the interpretation given to the tradition of this bright holiday.

Another wonderful story

Other christian history tells a slightly different story about why eggs are painted for Easter and why it is needed. There is a legend that after the crucifixion of Jesus, a meal was gathered by the Jews. There were only boiled eggs and fried chicken on the table.

The followers of Christ said that after 3 days Jesus would definitely resurrect, but the owner of the house did not believe them. He only exclaimed in annoyance that this could only happen after the fried chicken became alive again and the eggs turned red. At that very moment a miracle happened before his eyes. The eggs turned red, and the bird became alive again.

The Legend of the Apostle Peter

Another legend that tells how the tradition of painting eggs for Easter began is associated with the name of the Apostle Peter. One day he and his students were walking through the city. But opponents of Christianity decided to throw stones at them.

When the first stone flew from the crowd to the followers of the faith of Christ, it turned into an egg. Its color was red. All the stones underwent such an unusual transformation that even the enemies of Jesus believed in his power. Since then, red Easter eggs have become a symbol reminiscent of this story.

History of the Virgin Mary

Many Christians often wonder why eggs are painted for Easter and why they are usually painted red. In fact, this ordinary product itself carries a deep meaning. The egg is considered the personification of life. A new soul is concentrated in him. Under a strong and durable shell, a small living heart beats. It is believed that the Virgin Mary painted eggs so that little Jesus could play and have fun. This Easter legend is connected with the fact that this light itself church holiday means pure joy, rebirth, the beginning of something new and beautiful.

Here are just a few legends that can explain where it came from to paint eggs for Easter and why the laity have been doing it for several centuries. As you may have noticed, there is no consensus, but this does not prevent us from celebrating this bright and joyful day according to all traditions!
Christ is risen!

Video: Father Vyacheslav explains to his child why eggs are painted for Easter