11 May 2009

To Die For....

"Love and eggs are best when they are fresh."
~ Russian proverb.


What is it about Easter and eggs?
Easter was weeks ago, Erin? Why are you bringing this up now?
Easter is about celebrating our new life in Christ and eggs are the perfect symbol for new life, just as chicks hatch from the egg. There are many traditions that point to eggs being given to symbolize fertility and friendship and happy harvest and good wishes. And eggs that are colored and artistically designed are found in so many different cultures.


Check out these intricate eggs called Pysanky from the Ukraine. Wouldn't you love to learn how to do that? You can! Check it out here. (Personally, I am a bit daunted by the idea of blowing out the egg...wouldn't it break? What about all the raw egg flinging around? Wouldn't the egg break?)


I love dying the Easter eggs. I have done it in all sorts of ways, most often with the little tablets that you dissolve in hot water or the old fashioned liquid food coloring droplets with the precise concoctions for all sorts of Crayola shades on the back of the box. I have rolled them in glitter and used stickers or white crayons to leave a resist. I have sponged them and smooshed plastic wrap on them. I have even used onion skins and beets and other natural dyes...all in an attempt to push the limits of color after the dull gray of winter for the traditional hunt that takes place every Easter morn with my kids (yes, they still "believe" at 8 and 11 respectively. And Tiny Dancer indicated that the E.B would most certainly be hiding her basket in a much harder place in our little one floor home because she was so much bigger. He did. It was in her laundry basket!)


By the way....Did you know that the E.B. has scouts? Bunny scouts that is! One year in a spontaneous act of lunacy when my son the Sport-O was about 3 and not really behaving, we saw a little rabbit hopping around in the backyard. And on the driveway. And in the bushes. And darting out in front of my car when we drove down the street. That is where the Easter Bunny brigade was birthed. (And did you know that Santa has a similar brigade with the bellringers and mallworkers who keep him informed? Both have come in handy at certain times of the year...but I fear their effectiveness may be on the wane...)

Egg dying is a tradition that I have a feeling that I will continue for many more moons. I will choose to keep doing this because I derive so much inspiration from it. No matter how long my own children believe or want to participate or even if they are in the house anymore (I have many more years before that happens). I just like doing it. It is like breathing a little life into my home after months of gray days. Anticipating the rainbow hues just makes me happy.


I was so excited when I found a brand new way to dye the eggs. Tie-dyeing that is. And it is not what you think. I am totally not a "Martha" or even a wannabe, but this was the coolest thing, so I totally have to share. (But coincidentally, you can find very easy instructions to do this from Martha Stewart here.)

But in case you want to experience it from my point of view, head on over to my Watch Me Create blog post here.

Easter is so much more than that one Sunday in April where the world stops to seek colorful plastic eggs rattling with Jelly-Belly innards. Easter is about more than eating ham and scalloped potatoes and munching the ears off the chocolate bunnies (as long as they are Moonstruck bunnies...those are the kind that I buy...er...I mean the E.B. stuffs in the basket - because the children don't eat them. I do.). Easter is a about more than techno-colored Peeps and plastic grass.

Easter celebrates the day that Jesus triumphed over death and rose from the dead. Easter reminds me that although I may be a flawed soul, I am forgiven becuase Jesus took my sins upon his shoulders and gave his very life for me. For me! It is by far the best time in the Church, particularly in our parish, one I highly anticipate (and not just because I get to color eggs). The symblism is so rich. There is fire and water and oil. There are palm branches and foot washings. There is singing and silence. And the real meaning behind the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the wine.

First Holy Communion, May 3, 2009

The days of the Triduum and the pageantry surrounding it never fail to make me connect even deeper to my faith. This year more than ever I was very connected to it. You see my daughter, Tiny Dancer, was preparing to make her First Holy Communion (which she just did this past weekend). Witnessing faith through the eyes of someone so new to it all is really very humbling. I take for granted the stories that I hear every year. But I take great comfort in knowing that there are people around the world who are celebrating in much the same way that I am. We are telling the same story and reading the same Bible passages and singing Alleluia once again. Easter only begins the celebration on that Sunday in April. But it continues for 50 days total culminating in Pentecost, the celebration of the Holy Spirit coming down on the Apostles.

So I wish you a Happy Easter.


Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!


Check It Out:: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/eastercandy1.html

Enjoy the day!

8 comments:

a fanciful twist said...

I love painted eggs. I love detailed eggs. I just love everythig about them and Easter. Happy belated Easter my lovely friend, and happy happy Mother's day!! I hope you had a more than lovely Sunday.

I have a little story for you. My Mom told me about an egg heist happened during Easter. A little girl, took her Grandmother's old beautiful, exquisite Faberge egg to school for show and tell. She left it at school locked in the teacher's drawer for a couple of days. BUT, another student, took a fake egg, and tried to paint the same pattern that was on the Faberge egg, on this real egg.

Needless to say, it did not look real at all. But then, the student who tried to copy the egg, broke into the techer's desk, and swapped the Faberge egg, for the false egg. Umm, helllo? WHo wasn't going to notice.. So now they are trying to figure out who it was... Can you imagine?

So, there is a little egg tale for ya ;) xoxo

Lance said...

Hi Erin,
This year at our church, on Palm Sunday, we had a group of people reenact the "stations of the cross". I had the role of playing Jesus carrying his own cross. I was alone in a room, and group leaders would bring groups of people through, and go thru a script of what was being depicted. This became a powerfully moving experience for me...standing there holding that cross on my shoulders. And, more than I've felt before, I felt this much deeper connection with Jesus, and with the sacrifices He made for me.

Happy Easter to you Erin! This is, very much, a day to rejoice in!

Sharon said...

Amen, sister! You couldn't have said it any better!

a fanciful twist said...

Your tiny dancer is a doll! And her first communion? Oh how wonderful!! I still have my rosary from my catechism teacher who was with me through my first hole communion at Sacred Heart Church :) xoxo

Unknown said...

I remember blowing eggs and dying them but they never looked that great! These are beautiful creations that I would cry if broke! I currently have an ostrich blown egg, maybe I should try it on it?

sharon said...

Erin, this is a beautiful post and photos! Thanks for the comment on my blog, I appreciate all comments, even if I disagree or agree, I agree to get along. Life is bigger than these issues. I will check out Margot Potter's post also. Your "Easter" post represents what life is really about.

BTW, I've blown out the inside of an egg... it's really not too messy but you can sure get a terrific headache!

Mellisa said...

I have always loved pysanky, growing up on the prairies in Canada there's a huge Ukrainian population so it's very common to see them (all year round!). I'm now experimenting with some pysanky inspired designs for my pendants/beads but I think that's even trickier than the process for the eggs!
p.s. in case you don't see the response I left to your comment on my blog- they're on my website, not Etsy :)

Jenners said...

I loved this post -- mostly because my mom used to make Ukrainian Easter Eggs and we would get to help her. They are the most amazing things! The intricacies and the patterns and the colors ... I wish I had kept that stuff (or she did) and kept it up on my own. Thanks for the link because now I might pursue it again ... but I think my hands are not steady enough to pull it off. I have such good memories of watching her make those ... there was a really distinctive smell to it and the fire part and melting stuff was really fascinating! Thanks for a trip down memory lane!

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