Colored Eggs

Spring Equinox is the mid-point of the waxing year, the nights and days are balanced.  Decorated eggs have always been symbols of fertility.  In Europe in the past, gifts of decorated eggs were given to new brides, in hopes they would bear many children or bowls full of eggs were given to the field-workers by the farmer’s wife, to insure a rich harvest.  Many cultures see the egg as a symbol of Life, or the actual home of the soul.  The egg is the symbol of all good fortune in Russia and decorated eggs are still given as gifts to loved ones and buried in graves to insure rebirth. 

In the Ukraine each color applied to the decorated eggs had meaning to villagers. 

White	Purity
Yellow	Wisdom, a successful Harvest, or Spirituality
Green	Spring, rebirth, wealth, youth, growth, happiness
Blue	Good health, clear skies
Orange	Power, endurance, ambition
Red	Happiness, hope, passion, nobility, bravery, enthusiasm, love
Brown	Enrichment, good harvest, happiness
Purple	Faith, trust, power
Pink	Success
Black	Remembrance

 

Start with cool hard-boiled eggs.  Whether you use store dye or natural dye - it is dye.  Use newspaper to protect your table, gloves to protect skin or other items for easy cleanup later.  If you’re using a store-bought kit, simply follow the instructions on the package.   

The kids can color their eggs with crayons while the adults chopped, juiced and prepped the dye.  Stickers or rubber bands could also be used to create a fun design.

Some all natural options for dyeing eggs include: red, purple or yellow onion skins, red cabbage, blueberries, yellow apples peels, paprika, carrots and grape juice. 

If you’re using a dark-colored juice like grape or blueberry, simply add a splash of white or apple cider vinegar, perhaps some water if you need a larger quantity of dye and soak the eggs in it.

To Make Blue

Ingredients
1 pound frozen blueberries (about 3½ cups)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon vinegar

Directions
1. On the stovetop, bring frozen blueberries and water to a boil in a pot. Boil for 5 minutes.
2. Pour colored liquid into a cup or bowl, straining out the blueberries with a strainer.
3. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Other options like the onion skins, cabbage, apple peels or carrots need to be boiled for 20 minutes with 1-2 cups of water to concentrate the color, then add vinegar after mixture is removed from heat.

To Make Orange

Ingredients
2 tablespoons paprika
2 cups water
1 tablespoon vinegar

Directions
1. On the stovetop, bring paprika and water to a boil in a pot. Boil for 5 minutes.
2. Pour colored liquid into a cup or bowl.
3. Stir in 1 tablespoon vinegar.

 

The eggs are left to soak for about an hour, but 30 minutes should be good.  Gently rinse the eggs to remove excess dye and film.

 

Lavender    Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice, Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice, Red Zinger Tea   

 

Blue    Canned Blueberries, Red Cabbage Leaves (boiled), Purple Grape Juice

Yellow    Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled), Carrot Tops (boiled), Celery Seed (boiled), Ground, Cumin (boiled), Ground Turmeric (boiled), Chamomile Tea, Green Tea

 
Brown    Strong Coffee, Instant Coffee, Black Walnut Shells (boiled), Black Tea

Orange    Yellow Onion Skins (boiled), Cooked Carrots, Chili Powder, Paprika

Green    Spinach Leaves (boiled), Liquid Chlorophyll

Red    Red Onions Skins (boiled), Canned Cherries with Juice, Pomegranate Juice, Raspberries
 

Have Fun!

Colored Eggs

Earth Day

Spring Blessed

Spring Equinox