Driven by the belief that every life form is born from an egg, the egg has served as the irreplaceable symbol of fertility and rebirth for centuries. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and Persians decorated eggs while enthusiastically celebrating the coming of Spring. The English word, "Easter", derives from the ancient word for spring, "Eastre" and the name of a Anglo-saxon goddess celebrated during the Spring Equinox.
Later in history, the Christians reinvented the Easter holiday as a time for Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a result of the Christian Crusades, European soldiers learned about egg decorating from the Persians and spread what they learned when they returned home.
In more modern times, the art of decorating eggs is exemplified by many different art forms, such as the most famous and expensive Faberge eggs and the techniques used by the early American Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, who are credited with bringing the art of decorating eggs to America. |
|
 | Russian Jeweler, Peter Carl Faberge, became famous designing equisite eggs made of gold, silver, and jewels for the Russian royal family during the years of 1885 and 1917. The first egg in the Faberge collection had an outide shell made of white enamaled gold that opened to a golden yolk. The yolk held a golden hen that wore a crown containing a ruby hanging inside of it. This elaborate egg design resembles the matryoshka nesting dolls, also famous in Russia.
Alexander III commissioned Faberge to produce a newly designed egg each year, until a total of 50 eggs were made. Faberge created another 15 eggs for private collectors. A vast number of the Faberge eggs are still in existance and most are showcased in museums around the world. In 1927, many of the Faberge eggs left Russia when Joseph Stalin sold the prized eggs in an effort to acquire more foreign currency. |
|
|
In the early 1700s, the Pennyslvania Dutch (German) settlers were the first people known to dye Easter eggs during the Christian holiday. Primarily the Pennsylvania Dutch people used natural materials like bark and onion roots to color the eggs. Another known method used by Pennsylvania Dutch consisted of using a natural material called binsegrass . The German artisans wrapped the pith or soft spongelike central cylinder of the stems of binsegrass or rushes into coils around their Easter eggs.
The German people also played a large part in quickly spreading the art of decorating eggs across America. In 1880, William Townley marketed his recipe for egg dye tablets to the German housewives from his drugstore in his neighborhood for the small price of 5 cents a pack. After his easter egg dying product became a huge hit with families across America, Townley renamed his business, The Paas Dye Company. The word "Paas" originates from the German word, "Paasan", which means "Easter". |
|
You can buy easter egg dyes at your local markets. Or why not have more fun dyeing your eggs like your ancestors? You can make dyes from vegetables, edible flowers, fruits, coffee, tea, leaves and roots. Some people wrapped their eggs with ferns to create natural designs on their eggs.
Just boil a pot of water and place the objects objects that have the color you desire into the water. Add your eggs and a teaspoon of vineger . The egg shells will steep in this mixture. Now you can have fun decorating your Easter eggs that are dyed the old fashioned way. |
|
|
|
