Painted eggs are not only served for 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 the emerging and renewing life. This view is based on many of the customs that existed among different nations... In Russia, in some localities, an egg was laid in its foundation, so that the work of the builders would compete, and happiness and prosperity would not leave its future owners.

There are several versions about where the custom of giving and painting eggs for Easter originates. Legend has it that on Easter, Mary Magdalene gave the Roman Emperor Tiberius an egg painted red - the color of the blood shed by Christ on the chair. On the egg was written "HV", that is, "Christ is Risen!"

Easter festivities often featured egg games. For example, in the villages, eggs were rolled. They chose a small flat piece of land, trampled it 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 store eggs for a whole year until next Easter, they began to make eggs out of wood and paint them with ornaments and patterns. Later, eggs made of porcelain, silver with precious stones appeared.

HOW TO PAINT EGGS
* For coloring eggs, it is best to use onion skins, which are harvested in advance. Depending on the color of the husk, the color of the eggs ranges 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 dipping the eggs into the broth. Almost purple eggs come from the husks of red onions. You can also paint with birch leaves or food colors.

* To prevent the eggs from bursting during cooking, they must be kept warm or at room temperature for about an hour; during cooking, you can add a tablespoon of salt to the water.

* In some families, the custom of dyeing eggs "speckled" is kept. To do this, wet eggs are rolled in dry rice, wrapped in cheesecloth (the ends of the gauze must be tightly tied with a thread so that the rice sticks to the egg) and then boiled in onion husks in the usual way.

* To make the colored 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 out and in some places pierce the shell with a needle, and then boil another 1-1.5 in a strong tea leaves with the addition of cloves, cinnamon and coriander.

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

CHISINAU, 5 Apr - Sputnik. The head of the municipal public health center, Luminitsa Suweike, spoke in a commentary about the risks posed by dyes for Easter eggs.

"Personally, I prefer natural dyes - onion peel - the eggs are very beautiful golden color. But if someone needs scarlet eggs, then food dyes must be chosen," the interlocutor said.

According to her, the packaging should indicate that it is a food coloring, as well as describe the composition and shelf life. The doctor emphasized that it is impossible to buy paint for eggs outside of specialized outlets.

"You can't buy paint for eggs in the middle of the street, spoon by spoon, when you don't know what they are giving us. If the shell cracked during cooking and the squirrel gets colored, then we can already say that the paint is not of very high quality. In general, it is better to use natural dyes. Some also use parsley leaves. , and somehow decorate the eggs. I recommend natural dyes, "Suwike said.

© Sputnik / Mikhail Mordasov

How long can eggs be stored?

According to her, colored eggs can be stored for a maximum of two days. As the specialist noted, it is not recommended to leave them in the refrigerator until Radunitsa (memorial days), since the eggs will already be inedible.

"It is not recommended that food stays on the table for more than two hours. This is undesirable. And in general, you need to be careful, as now merchants offer various products... There was a post, and now they need to sell the product. I recommend buying products from authorized locations. Pay attention even when buying eggs on appearance goods, "added Suwike.

How to choose eggs?

• The shell must be whole and clean.
• The whites and yolks should be clean and free of any stains.
• Pay attention to the smell of eggs, as spoiled ones can be caught.
• The eggs must be stamped with the production date.

Colored eggs are an irreplaceable attribute Happy Easter... This is the main festive dish and a good easter gift friend and relative. Every year, believers paint eggs before the holiday so that there is prosperity and joy in the house. But the great holiday every year falls on different time and you wondered when it is allowed to paint eggs before Easter? Take care of this in the week that precedes Easter, and on what day - let's try to figure it out.

We paint eggs for Easter on Maundy Thursday and Saturday

Our ancestors began to prepare for the holiday from the Monday of Holy Week, preceding the holiday. But if you paint your eggs on Monday, what will happen to them before Sunday? Traditionally, two days have been allocated for this festive preparation:

• Maundy Thursday. Don't start painting eggshells early in the morning. First, clean up the house - do a general cleaning, wash windows, doors and floors, wash your laundry. By tradition, on this day everyone swims at home. Then start baking cakes and dyeing eggs.
• Great Saturday. If you have been cleaning all Thursday, and it has not come to painting eggs, do not be discouraged. You can paint them and cook different holiday dishes in the kitchen on Saturday morning. Nobody does this on Sunday anymore.

Why can't you paint eggs for Easter on other days of Holy Week?

On the first three days of Holy Week - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, it is forbidden to do business. Pray at home, go to the temple, observe the rules of the fast. In addition, it is too early to paint boiled eggs, they will deteriorate by Sunday.

The saddest day of the week before Easter is Good Friday. On this day, our Lord was crucified. Give up all household chores, fast, pray, attend church. The priests recommend refraining from all household chores on this day. But if you have no other time, start painting the eggshell after 15-00. This is the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross. But you probably won't want to do your homework on such a sad day.

When did the tradition of painting eggs for Easter originate?

This tradition, according to one version, came to us from the 10th century. This is stated in scriptures dating from the tenth century. A manuscript was found in the library of a Greek monastery and it says that after the Easter service the hegumen gave it to the monks colored eggs, and said: "Christ is Risen!"

If you read the Bible, then you know that the tradition of dyeing eggshells appeared even earlier - after the resurrection of the Lord. After the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalena hurried to the Roman emperor Tiberius to tell the good news. She brought him an egg. But the ruler laughed and said that he would believe in the resurrection only if the eggshell changes color. And a miracle happened! Eggshell turned purple. This shade is not accidental. He is a symbol of the shed blood of Jesus Christ for all people.

Folk omens associated with colored eggs for Easter

In Russia, many signs are associated with Easter eggs:

• the first colored egg donated for Easter has unique properties. It never deteriorated, and it was placed next to the icons and kept until the next holiday. People believe that it protects the house from evil people and all kinds of evil spirits;
• the shell from the colored egg is not thrown away. Bury it in the garden and get a good harvest;
• to preserve their beauty and youth, young girls washed their faces with water, into which they had previously placed shells from colored eggs.

Create an extravaganza of colors for your Easter basket by painting the eggs in vibrant, festive colors. Take it to the temple along with the Easter cakes and dedicate it. Present this Easter gift to a friend or relative and share the joy of our Lord's resurrection.

For Easter, it is customary to paint eggs with different colors, but among the multi-colored eggs, the central place belongs to bright red eggs. Why?

History has preserved such a tradition for us. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his disciples and followers dispersed to different countries everywhere proclaiming the good news that you no longer need to fear death. Christ, the Savior of the world, defeated her. He resurrected Himself and will resurrect everyone who believes Him and will love people as much as He loved.

Mary Magdalene dared to come with this news to the Roman emperor Tiberius himself. Since it was not customary to come to the emperor without gifts, and Maria 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 is life hidden from the eyes, which at its hour will break out of the lime captivity in the form of a small yellow chicken.

But when Mary began to tell Tiberius that Jesus Christ also escaped from the mortal chains and rose again, the emperor only laughed: "It's just as impossible as your white egg can turn into red." And before Tiberius had time to finish the phrase, the egg in the hands of Mary Magdalene became completely red.

Since then, in memory of this event, which symbolizes our faith in the Risen Lord, we paint eggs.

Colored eggs are not only served at the festive Easter table, but it was customary to give them to each other during the whole Easter week. Since ancient times, the egg has been a symbol of the emerging and renewing life. This concept is based on many customs that existed among different peoples. For example, in Russia, in some localities, an egg was laid in its foundation so that the work of the builders would compete, and happiness and prosperity would not leave its future owners.

On Easter in Russia, it was customary to lay dyed eggs on fresh sprouted greens of oats, wheat, and sometimes on pale green tiny leaves of watercress, which were specially germinated in advance for the holiday.

Easter festivities often featured egg games. For example, eggs were rolled in villages. They chose a small flat piece of land, trampled it 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 store eggs for a whole year until 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 answer to this question is very careful. First you need to remember a few rules.

Never boil eggs straight out of the refrigerator, as very cold eggs placed in hot water are likely to burst. Use a timer - trying to guess how many eggs were boiled and constantly reminding yourself to look at the clock is not worth it. Never boil eggs for too long (unless you have a timer) - then the yolks will turn black and the white will look like rubber. If the eggs are very fresh (less than 4 days), cook them 3 minutes longer. Always use a small saucepan - when there is too much room, the eggs can bump together and crack. Never bring to a boil; you need to cook them over medium heat. Remember eggs have a cushion at the blunt end where air collects. During cooking, pressure can build up there and the shells crack. To 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.

I suggest simplest method boiling eggs you can rely on regardless of taste.

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, dip the eggs into the water one at a time. Then turn on the timer and cook the eggs while boiling 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 for a soft yolk with a set but runny white

7 minutes to get a denser yolk with completely solidified protein.

Soft-boiled eggs, method 2

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

3 minutes if you want a semi-liquid egg

4 minutes for the protein to "set" and the yolk to remain liquid

5 minutes, so that both the yolk and the white are cooked, but in the very middle there is a bright yellow liquid speck.

Hard boiled eggs

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, set the timer for 6 minutes if you want eggs slightly runny in the middle, 7 minutes if you want fully boiled 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 be handled - about 2 minutes.

Peeling hard boiled eggs

Peel boiled eggs it can be tricky too, especially if the eggs are too fresh. Therefore, rule number one is to boil the eggs at least 5 days after the date they were packed. The easiest way to clean them is by cracking the shell all over the egg, then holding it under running water, starting from the blunt end. The water will wash away any small pieces of the shell. Then the eggs need to be put back in cold water until they cool completely. If you don't chill the eggs quickly, they will continue to cook, digest and the problem of blackened yolk reappears.

The beautiful coloring of quail eggs makes them a great alternative to chicken eggs, and cooking them is just as easy. Again, they should not be too fresh, and it is best to cook them with the first method, dipping them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Then refrigerate them quickly and clean as described above.

HOW TO PAINT EGGS

1. For coloring eggs, it is best to use onion skins, which are harvested in advance. Depending on the color of the husk, the color of the eggs ranges from light red to dark brown. If you want the color to be more saturated, you need to take more husk, and cook it for about receiving
   ca before placing the eggs in the broth. Almost purple eggs come from the husks of red onions. You can also paint with birch leaves or food colors.

   To prevent the eggs from bursting during cooking, they need to be kept warm or at room temperature for about an hour; during cooking, you can add a tablespoon of salt to the water.

   In some families, the custom of dyeing eggs "speckled" is kept. To do this, wet eggs are rolled in dry rice, wrapped in cheesecloth (the ends of the gauze must be tightly tied with a thread so that the rice sticks to the egg) and then boiled in onion husks in the usual way.

   To make the colored 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 painted from the inside, and not from the outside, you need to boil them for 3 minutes, then take out and in some places pierce the shell with a needle, and then boil another 1-1.5 in a strong tea leaves with cloves, cinnamon and coriander.

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

NATURAL EGG PAINTS

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

Gilding
Add 2-3 tablespoons of turmeric to hot water, boil to intensify the color.

Pink
Soak boiled eggs in cranberry or beetroot juice.

Violet
Add violet flowers to hot water and soak overnight. If you add a little to the water lemon juice, you get a lavender color.

Blue
Two heads of finely chopped red cabbage, 500 ml water and 6 tbsp white vinegar... Soak overnight for a deep blue color.

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

Lavender
Soak eggs in grape juice.

Pastel shades
For soft pink and blue, rub the shells with a handful of blueberries or cranberries.

Beige
4 cups yellow onion skins Boil for 30 minutes - 1 hour. The amount of husk and the duration of the boil will affect the color saturation.

Dark brown
Boil eggs in 250 ml of coffee.

reference
The meanings of the symbols used when painting Easter eggs:

Pine- a symbol of health.
Black color- the color of sorrow. A bright drawing was necessarily applied to a black base. The child was made an Easter egg on a cherry background, not on black.
Pigeon- a symbol of the soul.
Mesh- a symbol of fate.
White color- the beginning of all beginnings: fate, which is built in heaven.
Yellow mesh- a symbol of the sun and the fate that is being built here.
Oak- a symbol of strength.
Dots- a symbol of fertility.
Plums- a symbol of love.
Hop- a symbol of fertility.
Any berry- a symbol of fertility; mother.
Flowers- a symbol of girlhood.