Red Easter Eggs

There are a lot of things that stick with you.  For me, Easter eggs have always been dyed red.  

I remember my Mom dying Easter Eggs on the Thursday night before Easter.   All of the eggs were dyed red and then shined with a little olive oil.  We were not allowed to eat them until Easter Sunday.  Before we were able to eat the eggs, we would play a little game.  One person holds their egg (pointed side up) while the other person uses their egg (pointed side) to hit that egg (head on).  As the two eggs hit, you say, "Christos Anesti" (Christ has risen).  You then do this with the round side of the egg and say, "Alithos Anesti" (He has risen indeed).

I did a little digging on red Easter eggs and thought I would share.

Eggs were a pagan symbol for fertility.  Eostre, the Germanic goddess of fertility, carried a basket of eggs.  This was to encourage fertility.  Her followers would give her eggs as an offering.  Christians adopted the egg as an Easter symbol but gave it a new meaning.

Egg decorating was been around for quite some time.  Painted ostrich eggs have been found in Africa that are around 60,000 years old.

During the early days of Christianity in Mesopotamia, eggs were dyed and used as a symbol for Christ's resurrection.    This was done as a reminder for the blood Christ shed for us on the cross.  

The Greeks kept the tradition of dyeing eggs red to symbolize Christ's blood and the egg itself to remind us of His tomb.  When the egg is cracked, it represents His resurrection. 

There is a legend that gives Mary Magdalene credit for starting the tradition of red eggs.  The story goes, Mary Magdalene went to Rome to preach the Gospel.  While handing Emperor Tiberius an egg, she said, "Christ is Risen."  He was skeptical, and when he said that to Mary, the egg that was in her hand turned blood red.

 Here is my source for all things Easter eggs.