Easter is nearly here and that means it’s time for Easter traditions – from fun ones to delicious ones!
There's a reason why we eat egg-shaped chocolate at Easter time. Eggs have been a symbol of Easter time before it was even called that. Even before Christianity, eggs were decorated in springtime in many cultures as a sign of fertility, while some Christians linked eggs to the empty tomb of the newly resurrected Jesus.
In Christian societies, particularly in central and eastern Europe, decorating eggs – whether dying or painting – has been a much-loved preparation for Easter. Whether you identify as religious, pagan, agnostic or none of the above, it’s nice to celebrate Easter with some old-school egg-decorating traditions during the holidays.
Here's a broad range of ways to decorate your eggs, from simple to downright intricate, so no matter what your skill level is and whether you're decorating eggs with kids or not, you can have fun preparing these Easter beauties!
First, boil the eggs, then decide how you're going to decorate them and off you go! Alternatively, remove the contents of an unboiled egg by piercing the eggshell at the top and bottom and blowing them out. The second option means that you are working with a much more brittle, delicate object, so choose wisely.
Chances are you’ll already have the necessary ingredients for this at home, and if not, they’ll be easy and cheap to find at your local supermarket. Ingredients like turmeric and red cabbage can give outstanding results. If you use some white eggs and some brown eggs, then the colour variety is even greater.
Simple watercolour painting on eggs can be done easily and is most effective on white eggs. Whether you choose to do flowers, like in this relaxing video, or patterns or whatever you please, it’s a really cheerful way to decorate eggs for Easter.
This one is not for the faint-hearted, but as we're all locked up at home anyway, why not give this pattern a go? It’s an exercise in patience and geometry as much as it is decoration. This detailed tutorial will guide you through from pencilling in measurements right through to producing outstanding egg art!
Egg decoration is a great way to celebrate this tradition in spring, no matter what your beliefs are. It's also a time for trying out new recipes and eating great food (including chocolate Easter eggs), because Easter is a time of plenty. Enjoy!
This article originally appeared on IamExpat in the Netherlands.