When can you dye eggs except for Maundy Thursday. How to paint eggs with brilliant green and onion peel "marbled"

Holy Week is the name given to the last six days before Easter. Each of these days is called "Great" each has its own customs and traditions. They also concern such an important stage of preparation for Easter as coloring eggs.

Most believers are looking for an answer to the question of when they paint eggs for Easter 2018. Well, firstly, this is done only during Holy Week. That is, in 2018 from April 2 to April 7. Secondly, one must understand that eggs are not dyed on Maundy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The preparation of Easter cakes and the coloring of eggs begins on Maundy or Maundy Thursday and lasts for two more days.

1. A very common version is associated with Mary Magdalene. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, she sent to Rome to be the first person to tell Emperor Tiberius about the miracle. It was impossible to go to the emperor without gifts, and Mary had no money. Then she brought eggs to the emperor and said that Christ had risen! The emperor said that it is also impossible for a dead person to be resurrected, just as it is impossible for this egg to stop being white. Then the egg in his hands turned red. By the way, other sources claim that Mary Magdalene presented the emperor with eggs not from lack of money, but from the fact that the egg is a symbol of life and a new stage of development. The red color of the Easter egg is a symbol of the blood that Christ shed on the cross for human sins.

2. The second version of why it is necessary to paint eggs is associated with the Virgin Mary. The version says that the Virgin Mary, as a child, dyed eggs with Jesus to entertain the child.

3. Another common legend says that believers severely limited themselves in food during the fasting period. And, in order not to eat spoiled eggs, after the end of the fast they were boiled. So it was easy to distinguish a good egg from a product of not the first freshness.

Maundy Thursday, April 5, 2018 is the time when eggs are dyed and Easter cakes are baked. That is, when you can start painting eggs and baking Easter cakes. Festive preparations for Easter also last on Friday and Saturday. Since a modern person is busy at work on weekdays, most of the work remains on Saturday. Saturday is also a good day to paint eggs for Easter 2018, so as not to contradict the church charter.

And if you still don’t know how to paint eggs for Easter in an original way, read our article about

Bright Sunday of Christ is a great Christian holiday that has come to us from the depths of centuries. Easter brings light and joy to every believer. The holiday has long become a favorite and is celebrated in Orthodox families.

The date of the celebration is mobile and is set on the Sunday following the first spring full moon.

One of the main attributes of Easter are colored eggs and Easter cakes. They symbolize the coming of spring and the birth of new life. This is the best gift and amulet of the Orthodox feast.

Believers observe Great Lent, otherwise called the Forty Day, which prepares a Christian for Easter.

When to paint eggs for Easter

Many beautiful legends and beliefs, as well as curious customs, are associated with the great holiday. Why do you have to paint eggs for Easter? Thought about it?

According to ancient tradition, the coloring of eggs is carried out on one of the days of Holy Week. This is the week leading up to the holiday. It is recommended to do this ritual on Thursday. Clean Thursday, on this day, a general cleaning of the house is carried out, cakes are baked and other events are prepared for the great holiday. On the same day, you must go to communion.

Friday is set aside to reflect on all the torments that befell Jesus. It was on Friday that he was crucified.

Do not do household chores - the strictest day of Lent.

Church canons allow dyeing eggs on Saturday, in honor of which it is called red. On this day in the temple, they need to be consecrated and wait for the onset of Christ's Resurrection.

On the night of Saturday to Sunday, you must definitely pray either at home or in the temple.

The tradition of coloring eggs came to us from Rome. In those ancient times, it was impossible to come to the emperor empty-handed. And if rich people carried gold and jewelry, then the poor dragged everything that was in the household.

And according to legend, Marina Magdalena gave the first Easter egg to Emperor Tiberius. She had nothing but an egg. And Marina Magdalena decided to bring the news that Christ had risen. He yelled out, it's as impossible as a white egg turning red.

After this phrase, the egg in the hands of the emperor turned red. Extremely surprised, Tiberius uttered "Truly Risen." And so began the origins of painting eggs red. A
the phrase "Truly Risen" became an obligatory greeting when meeting on a bright holiday.

Another legend takes us to the early years of Christ. He adored chickens, so the Virgin Mary painted the eggs by hand and presented him in the form of toys. When Jesus was being judged, the Virgin Mary brought a whole apron of eggs as a gift to Pontius Pilate. And kneeling before him, she dropped them from the hem. And the eggs became reminiscent of the bitter fate of Jesus.

And the last popular version is related to the feast. Seven Jews went to the feast, where among other dishes were chicken and eggs. One of the Jews, remembering that there was an execution, spoke about the resurrection of Christ after three days. His comrade laughed and said that this would happen only after the eggs on the table changed their color to red. The eggs changed color at the same time.

It is believed that the red color of the Easter egg symbolizes blood. A sign that Jesus shed a lot of blood in the name of mankind.

On a note! The first food after the end of Lent should be an egg, as ancient legends say.

There is also a completely domestic version of egg coloring. Eggs were not to be eaten during Lent. But the chickens were still laying. So that the eggs do not disappear, they were boiled. And in order to avoid confusion between boiled and raw eggs, the first ones were dyed red with onion peel. And in the future, this method flowed into a festive tradition.

In the modern world, the church is not forbidden to paint eggs in any color. What is important is the ancient tradition itself and the meaning and faith that are invested in it.

Easter in other countries

In Russia, festivities are organized on Easter, people visit guests, exchange gifts, eggs, Easter cakes, Easter cottage cheese. An atmosphere of goodness and happiness reigns in the air.

Many families have a custom in the morning to arrange fights, and not simple ones, but with eggs. To do this, two people must take a testicle and hit them against each other. The one whose egg cracks will lose.

But in other countries, customs for Easter are no less interesting.

In the countries of Western Europe, the symbol of the Orthodox holiday is the Easter Bunny. He is depicted on dishes, curtains, napkins, balls and other festive attributes. Fragrant gingerbread and cookies are baked in the form of a rabbit. It represents fertility and prosperity.

In Bulgaria, they bake special bread and also play cue ball on testicles. Just be sure to wish the opponent good luck.

In Italy, Greece and other southern countries, roasted lamb should be on the table at Easter.

By the way, in Greece, Easter is a public holiday and is celebrated on a grand scale. On the night of Saturday to Sunday, the Easter service is celebrated. And then in the church, all the people light their candles from the only burning candle and carry the festive fire around the temple. Next comes the magnificent fireworks.

On the Greek island of Corfu, on Easter, after the service, clay pots with cherished wishes are thrown out of the balconies right into the street. The squares are all in multi-colored fragments. This tradition symbolizes getting rid of the old in order to get a happy future. And if a random passer-by takes a shard from a pot, then everything will turn out happily in his life.

Italians go to the main square on holiday to hear the congratulations of the pope. And the next day they meet with friends in nature. Their Easter bread is called colomba. It has a lemon flavor and is covered with a hazelnut glaze.

Fun competitions are held in the Italian city of Panicale. Huge heads of cheese are rolled around the city walls. Whoever hits the cheese against the walls fewer times, rolling it at high speed, wins.

In Germany, empty painted eggs are hung on trees. And on the last evening before Easter, a huge fire is lit. It symbolizes the destruction of all old grievances and strife, the birth of a new beginning. Adults hide Easter eggs, and in the morning children must find them. It is believed that the Easter Bunny brings gifts. And then everyone gathers at a common table, where the main dish is fish.

In Poland, women and mazuriki are baked on this holiday. Mazuriks are pies made of shortcrust pastry, decorated with mastic eggs and flowers, sprinkled with grated chocolate. Baba are made from rich dough, beautiful figurines with various fillings.

Interesting! If on Easter a man slaps a girl with a twig, she will become very lucky.

In the United States, on Easter, everyone goes to the temple, where worship is held with collective singing. After that, everyone exchanges Easter bunnies.

A popular game in America is rolling on an inclined slope of eggs. The winner is the person who has rolled his testicle the longest without stopping, people arrange fun competitions.

In Australia, Easter is usually spent in nature. Easter figurines are made in the form of chocolate rabbits and Australian bilbies. The menu on the table includes fried beef or lamb. And for dessert, a cake with meringues and fruit.

The bride and groom collect water on Easter and store it until the cherished day. It is believed that if you spray each other at a wedding, then the marriage will turn out well.

At Easter, it is customary to paint eggs with different colors, but among all the colorful eggs, bright red eggs occupy a central place.

History has preserved this tradition for us.

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his disciples and followers dispersed to different countries, everywhere proclaiming the joyful news that there is no longer any need to be afraid of death.

Christ, the Savior of the world, conquered death. He resurrected Himself and will resurrect everyone who will believe Him and will love people just as He loved.

Mary Magdalene dared to come with this message to the Roman Emperor Tiberius himself.
Since it was not customary to come to the emperor without gifts, and Mary had nothing, she came with a simple chicken egg.

Of course, she chose the egg with meaning.

The egg has always been a symbol of life: in a strong shell there is life hidden from the eyes, which in due time will break out of lime captivity in the form of a small yellow chicken.

But when Mary began to tell Tiberius that Jesus Christ had escaped from the shackles of death and RISEN from the dead, the emperor only laughed: “It is also impossible, as your white egg turns red.”

And before Tiberius had time to finish this phrase, like an egg in the hands of Mary Magdalene turned completely red, testifying to the truth of the Christian Faith.

Since then, in memory of this event, which symbolizes our faith in the Risen Lord and in our Resurrection, we have been painting eggs. Colored eggs are not only served at the festive Easter table, it was customary to give them to each other throughout the Easter week.

Since ancient times, the egg has been a symbol of emerging and renewing life.

Many customs that existed among different peoples are based on this idea.

For example, in Rus', in some areas, an egg was laid in the foundation of a house so that the work of the builders could be argued, and happiness and prosperity would not leave its future owners.

On Easter, in Rus', it was customary to lay colored eggs on fresh sprouted greens of oats, wheat, and sometimes on tiny green cress leaves, which were specially germinated for the holiday. At Easter festivities, games with eggs were often arranged.

For example, in the villages "rolled" eggs. They chose a small flat piece of land, trampled down to get a flat area. Shallow holes were made in the ground.

Each of the participants brought their own painted eggs, which were laid out in the holes. The task of each participant was to roll out the testicle he liked from the hole - then he became the winner.

The eggs were rolled out using a special rag ball with flattened sides, similar to a wheel.

Since there was a custom to keep eggs for a whole year until the next Easter, over time, eggs began to be made of wood and painted with ornaments and patterns.

Later, eggs made of porcelain, silver with precious stones appeared.

How to boil eggs?

The simple answer to this question is very carefully. First you need to remember a few rules.

Never boil eggs directly from the refrigerator, because very cold eggs that are placed in hot water are more likely to burst. Eggs should be kept at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.

Use a timer when cooking - try to guess how many eggs were cooked and constantly remind yourself to look at the clock is not worth it. Never boil eggs too long (unless you have a timer) as the yolks will turn black and the whites will look like rubber. If the eggs are very fresh (less than 4 days old), cook them 3 minutes longer.

Always use a small saucepan - when there is too much space, the eggs can hit each other and crack. Never bring to a vigorous boil; you need to cook them over medium heat.

Remember that eggs have a pad at the blunt end where air collects. During cooking, pressure can accumulate there and the shell will crack.

To avoid this, pierce the egg from the blunt end with a needle to release steam.

Of course, everyone loves eggs cooked in different ways.

Soft-boiled eggs, method 1

First of all, you need to pour boiling water into a small saucepan so that the water exceeds the eggs by 1 cm. Then quickly, but carefully, using a tablespoon, lower the eggs into the water one at a time. Then turn on the timer and cook the eggs at a boil for exactly 1 minute.

Then remove the pan from the heat and cover it with a lid, set the timer again and measure:
- 6 minutes to get a soft yolk with seized but runny protein
- 7 minutes to get a denser yolk with completely frozen protein.

Remove the boiled eggs from the pan and place in cold water.

Soft-boiled eggs, method 2

Another way that works just as well. This time, the eggs need to be put in a saucepan, poured with cold water, put on a high heat, and as soon as they boil, reduce the heat and measure out:

3 minutes if you want a semi-liquid egg
- 4 minutes for the protein to “grab” and the yolk to remain liquid
- 5 minutes, so that both the yolk and protein are cooked, but in the very middle there remains a bright yellow liquid spot.

Then, remove the boiled eggs from the pan and place in cold water.

Hard boiled eggs

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, set the timer for 6 minutes if you want eggs that are slightly watery in the middle, 7 minutes if you want fully cooked eggs.

Then it is very important to quickly douse them with cold water. Hold them under running cold water for 1 minute, then leave them in cold water until they are cool enough to handle - about 2 minutes.

Undercooked (in a bag)

If you cut open an undercooked egg, the yolk will be runny and the color will be dark gold instead of light yellow.

Perfectly brewed

The protein of a soft-boiled egg should be tender, and the yolk should be loose, but dense.

overcooked

The protein of the overcooked egg becomes "rubber" in taste; an unpleasant (albeit harmless) greenish-gray coating appears on the yolk.

Peeling hard boiled eggs

Peeling boiled eggs can also be difficult, especially if the eggs are too fresh. So rule number one is to boil your eggs at least 5 days after the date they were packed. The easiest way to peel them is by first cracking the shell all over the egg, then holding it under running water, starting at the blunt end.

The water will wash away all the little bits of the shell. Then the eggs again need to be put in cold water until they are completely cool. If you don't chill the eggs quickly, they will continue to cook, overcook, and the blackened yolk problem will reappear.

The beautiful coloring of quail eggs makes them a great alternative to chicken eggs, and they are just as easy to prepare. Again, they shouldn't be too fresh, and it's best to cook them with the first method by dipping them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Then cool them quickly and clean as described above.

HOW TO COLOR EGGS

For coloring eggs, it is best to use onion peel, which is harvested in advance.

Depending on the color of the husk, the color of the eggs is from light red to dark brown.

If you want the color to be more saturated, you need to take more husks and cook it for about half an hour before lowering the eggs into the broth.

Almost purple eggs come from red onion husks.

You can also dye with birch leaves or food coloring.

So that the eggs do not burst during cooking, they must be kept warm for about an hour or at room temperature, while boiling, you can add a tablespoon of salt to the water. Some families keep the custom of dyeing eggs "speckled".

To do this, wet eggs are rolled in dry rice, wrapped in gauze (the ends of the gauze must be tied tightly with thread so that the rice sticks to the egg) and then boiled in onion peel in the usual way.

To make the painted eggs shine, they are wiped dry and smeared with sunflower oil. You can boil eggs wrapped in multi-colored threads, then they get interesting stains. In order for the eggs to be colored from the inside, and not from the outside, you need to boil them for 3 minutes, then take them out and pierce the shell with a needle in some places, and then boil another 1-1.5 in a strong tea with the addition of cloves, cinnamon and coriander.

To quickly color the eggs, boil them for 10 minutes with some vegetable: spinach (green) or chopped beets (bright red). For a marbled effect, wrap eggs in onion skins and tie some cotton material over the top.

NATURAL PAINTS FOR EGGS

Ocher

4 cups red onion skins. Boil eggs for 30 minutes - 1 hour. Depending on the soaking time,
eggs will turn from bright scarlet to dark red.

Yellow

Dandelion heads or dry birch leaves (Taraxacum officinale) - yellow.

According to legend, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene presented the first Easter egg to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. When Mary came to Tiberius and announced the Resurrection of Christ, the emperor said that it was as impossible as the fact that the chicken egg would be red, and after these words, the chicken egg that he was holding turned red.

An Easter egg is a charm and the best Easter gift. According to church tradition, eggs are dyed on Maundy Thursday.

Eggs will not burst during cooking if you add a few tablespoons of salt to the water. In order for the paint to lie more evenly than the egg, it must be thoroughly washed and wiped with alcohol before painting.

Colored eggs are divided into:

1. Krashenki are eggs dyed the same color.

2. specks are eggs painted in one color with spots, stripes, specks of a different color.

3. Pysanky are eggs painted by hand or covered with patterns.

Natural dyes for Easter eggs. Source: bufetum.livejournal.com

RED (pink) color - decoction of CHERRY BARK or CHERRY BRANCHES. Boil the bark or sprigs of cherries, let it brew for at least 12 hours (it is better to cook the day before the eggs are painted), boil and leave overnight. Then, be sure to filter through a sieve, boil eggs in this infusion. For RED color, take 100 g of cherry branches for 1 glass of water. For PINK color 100g of branches in 3 cups of water.

BLUE (blue) color - a decoction of BLUEBERRY berries (boil frozen blueberries for 1 or 2 minutes. Filter through a metal sieve (as soon as they boil). Cool to room temperature. Put washed (first in cold, and then in warm ) eggs in water and boil for 15-20 minutes.The intensity of the color depends on the concentration - the number of berries per volume of water.

To get a BLUE color - you should take 150 g of blueberries (1/2 pack of frozen blueberries 300g) in 2 liters of cold water.

To get the BLUE color - you should take 300g of blueberries (1 pack of frozen blueberries 300g) in 2 liters of cold water.

To get a PURPLE color or DARK BLUE - blueberries need to be taken as for blue or a little more, but let it brew for several hours, it is better to leave the broth overnight and then filter it before boiling eggs in this broth.

The blue and cyan colors obtained in this way resemble "Roerich's" blue.

YELLOW color - dilute the TURMERIC powder in water (first in a small amount of water, which is added with spoons and rub the turmeric powder). Only after that add it to a container of water in which the eggs will be painted. Boil eggs. For 1 liter of water, take 1 packet of turmeric (15g) or 2 packets for a more intense color.

CHAMOMILE - gives a delicate yellow color, chamomile can be boiled and strained or boiled eggs together with sachets of chamomile, only a decent amount is required for 1 liter of water - at least 8 pcs.

POMEGRANATE PEEL gives a yellow color - boil eggs directly with pomegranate peel or boil the peel and filter through a metal sieve, cool and then boil the eggs. The color obtained by painting with pomegranate peel did not impress the authors of the post.

BROWN color - gives a decoction of OAK BARK, decoction of ONION SHELL, also brown color will be obtained if you boil eggs with CHICORY POWDER (soluble or not). A decoction of dried berries (or frozen) ARKHOME will give a brown tint.

If you boil eggs in a strong BLACK TEA INfusion, you can in bags, the eggs will look like eggs dyed with onion husks. Athos monks paint Easter eggs with tea.

GREEN color - if you add TURMERIC powder to the filtered BLUEBERRY broth, you will get a green color of a very beautiful shade. For 1 liter of blueberry decoction, 1 packet of turmeric (15g). If you take 2 packets of turmeric for 1 liter of blueberry decoction, you get LIGHT GREEN. The intensity of green also depends on the concentration of blueberry broth. But the best GREEN option will turn out if you take a fresh blueberry broth (cooked specifically for green, and not the one in which the blue eggs were already boiled), dilute turmeric in the cooled broth (according to the method described above) and boil the eggs. And the budget version of green, if you take a decoction in which blue eggs were boiled and add 1-2 packets of turmeric (15 - 30 g) to it or (quite a budget option) combine with a decoction of turmeric in which yellow eggs were boiled (but in this case, the eggs are not very presentable).

A beautiful DELICATE GREEN color can be obtained by boiling eggs with CARROT LEAVES (photo of spring tops in the photo) - by spring, carrots sprout and you can use these sprouts of a gently green color or specially sprout the roots of carrots in advance. But only carrot tops, which sprouted in the spring, stain the eggs, and the carrots should not be young, but harvested in autumn. You need to take a lot of carrot tops per 1 liter of water. There is a lot of trouble with carrot tops and the end result is not worth the effort.

BORDEAUX, WINE color - learn if you boil eggs in RED WINE, or a mixture of red wine and water, or in black grape juice, you can buy black grapes, make a decoction out of it, strain, cool and boil eggs in this decoction. However, it should be noted that grape (wine) dye is not very resistant.

After removing the colored eggs from the container where they were boiled, the eggs should not be rubbed with a towel, making an effort. Eggs should be washed by holding under running warm water and gently dried with a cotton napkin or towel. To shine, grease with vegetable oil. Fanaticism when coloring eggs is unacceptable, the exact proportions are a thankless task.

A few more ways to paint eggs from the Internet:

1. If you boil raw eggs with spinach or nettle, they will turn green, depending on the concentration of the herb. Although, they say, it all depends on the case, it may not turn out to be a very beautiful color.

2. Violet eggs will turn out if you paint them in violets. You need to take violet flowers, pour hot water over them, let the solution brew and soak the eggs in it overnight. If you add a little lemon juice to water, you get a lavender color.

3. If you boil eggs with walnut shells, they will turn out light beige or brown.

4. Pink color can be obtained with cranberry juice. Eggs are boiled in juice and left overnight.

5. Blue eggs or blue stains on them can be obtained by rubbing already boiled eggs with red cabbage leaves.

6. Boiled eggs in coffee will be beige or brown.

Drawings on Easter eggs:

1. Eggs will be speckled if you roll a wet egg in rice, buckwheat or other cereals. Wrap it tightly in gauze and cook in any dye.

2. The egg will be streaked if it is wrapped in onion skins and wrapped in gauze before cooking ..

3. A striped egg will turn out if you put a few rubber bands on the egg before painting.

4. Eggs with an original pattern will be obtained if they are wrapped in parsley leaves, dill and put in a stocking before cooking. Cook in onion skins.

5. Any pattern can be applied to a painted egg with a needle or other sharp object.

6. White patterns can be made with powdered sugar. We apply the pattern with a very thick solution of powder with a confectionery syringe on painted eggs.

Great Lent imposes many restrictions on the Orthodox. The most difficult week is considered to be Holy Week, when a Christian undergoes serious endurance tests.

Therefore, believers are wondering when to start preparing traditional dishes for the Easter holiday. Indeed, in the last week there are a number of prohibitions that Orthodox fasting people are trying to observe in order to prepare for the Great Day of the Resurrection of the Lord.

Why are eggs painted?

Orthodox Christians often think about the meaning of colored eggs. The priests explain that this is a symbol of the tomb of Jesus Christ, carrying the sacred meaning of eternal life. In the past, the inhabitants of Jerusalem were buried in caves, covering the entrance with a stone. When the burial place of the Lord was closed, the stone resembled an egg in shape. That is why it has become one of the important attributes of Christianity.

Newly converted Christians are wondering why the tradition of dyeing eggs began. This question is answered by a legend explaining how this custom appeared. Mary Magdalena went to the ruler to tell about an unprecedented miracle - the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In response to this, the Roman emperor laughed and said that the dead would never rise from the grave, and the egg would never change color to red. At the same moment, the gifts of the Holy Virgin were painted in this shade.

At present, the Orthodox are striving to preserve the tradition of meeting other believers with eggs in their hands, uttering sacred words about the resurrection of Christ. And for their coloring, onion peel, carrots, beets or food coloring are used.

When to paint eggs

The last week involves a number of restrictions on eating and other things that a Christian adheres to according to church canons. Therefore, the question arises when to move on to preparing for Easter. Here, church ministers try to explain to parishioners that there are certain days on which you need to paint eggs and bake Easter cakes.

Fact! Holy Week is an important stage in the end of Great Lent, where Christians must humble the flesh and direct their thoughts to the praise of the Lord. Therefore, it is dedicated not only to limitations, but is also considered an occasion to remember the deeds of Christ. It is during Holy Week in Jerusalem and other cities of the world that Orthodox people reminisce about the events preceding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. I also remember the moments that followed.

In 2018, Holy Week began on April 2 and will end on April 8 with the Great Bright Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. The priests, who interpret Holy Scripture, recommend that the Orthodox begin cooking on the first day of the last week of Lent. But if a Christian does not have the opportunity to bake or paint eggs on Monday, there are other days for preparation. The days from April 3 to April 5 inclusive are recognized as such days by the church.

Important! If these days it was not possible to color eggs and prepare holiday cakes, it is possible to do this on April 7 before the onset of Easter. But in no case should you indulge in such work on Friday. This is considered a disregard for church traditions and is considered a great sin.

It is better to devote Friday to the continuation of fasting and attend the evening service in the temple. Such behavior will be the most correct from the point of view of observing all Orthodox canons. This day is dedicated to the memories of the torments Christ had to go through for the salvation of the human race. That is why the day is dedicated to rest and prayers, attending services in the temple.

Then, on Holy Saturday, you can paint eggs and bake Easter, but you need to spend the first half of the day on this. Indeed, after dinner, a Christian needs to go to the temple to consecrate the cooked food, called daily bread. This can be done both during the day and in the evening.

Orthodox who work on Saturday have the right to attend the night service, having received the blessing of the priest and consecrating the food. The consecration of painted eggs takes place exclusively after the Liturgy on the first day off before Easter.

How to paint eggs

Currently, there are many ways to decorate eggs. Housewives who do not have enough time for painting can use stickers. They will serve as an excellent decor and cover most of the shell. If you have free time, it is possible to combine two methods of decoration, including painting and arranging stickers.

If it is not possible to purchase jewelry or they seem too colorful, you can use the more familiar method. To do this, leaves plucked from trees are applied to the shell. Or it is possible to attach a figurine cut out of paper according to your own sketch on the egg. You can make it yourself or find a suitable stencil option on the Internet.

Orthodox, who can take days off on certain days of the week of Great Lent and can draw, can paint eggs with paints. This ancient tradition is passed down from generation to generation among masters of painting. Often, believers strive to continue the custom and learn to draw on eggshells.