A New Tradition

Today we started a new tradition; dying Easter eggs. I don't recall ever doing this as a child, but now that I am older I have become very aware that many people do. In fact, past Easters I have felt like a scrooge for not participating in this activity with my girls. So, this year we have started a new tradition.

Madeleine & Audrey are sitting in front of the prepared dye, anxiously awaiting to put their fingers in it.

We made tye dye eggs. Madeleine is carefully dropping dye into holes in a plastic case holding the egg.

Audrey is patiently watching Madeleine, hoping that her turn is soon.

So meticulous.

Her first finished egg.

Finally, Audrey's turn. She carefully considers her first color

and drops it into the holes.

Audrey's first finished egg.

A dozen beautifully colored eggs.

When we were done, Madeleine picked up one of her finished eggs and proclaimed, "I am going to take this to my room"! When I explained that it is food and we are going to eat them, you would have thought I had just told her we were going to eat her cat!

Being the curious person that I am, I researched the story behind Easter Eggs. I found the following information from a website, The History of the Easter Egg:

From earliest times, and in most cultures, the egg signified birth and resurrection. The Egyptians buried eggs in their tombs. The Greeks placed eggs atop graves. The Romans coined a proverb: Omne vivum ex ovo, "All life comes from an egg." And legend has it that Simon of Cyrene, who helped carry Christ’s cross to Calvary, was by trade an egg merchant. (Upon returning from the crucifixion to his produce farm, he allegedly discovered that all his hens’ eggs had miraculously turned a rainbow of colors; substantive evidence for this legend is weak.) Thus, when the Church started to celebrate the Resurrection, in the second century, it did not have to search far for a popular and easily recognizable symbol.

So, the egg symbolizes life and resurrection. Perhaps, it was very appropriate that we chose to color eggs on Good Friday. Too bad I didn't think to research the history behind the egg earlier so I could incorporate the lesson with our activity. Next year I will.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5.