ESOL Magazine June 2014 | Page 13

Easter Eggs by Silviya Danchova Dyed red eggs are a tradition at Bulgarian Easter symbolizing the blood of Christ and rebirth and new life. Today we also dye eggs in different colours. Easter eggs are dyed on Maundy (Holy) Thursday or Holy Saturday. The first red egg dyed on Holy Thursday is a symbol of health for the family and it has to be kept until next Easter. There are many ways to colour boiled eggs. First place the eggs into a saucepan with a pinch of salt and cover with water. Boil the eggs for at least ten minutes and then lift the eggs out with spoon or tongs. The eggs are dyed with colouring kit, dye pellets, colouring for food or natural dye (red onions skins, fruits, coffee, red cabbage, red wine). When we use natural dyes we have to boil eggs together with red onions skins for a red colour or red cabbage for blue colour. To decorate with a colouring kit we need a rich imagination. You can eat these eggs, give them as gifts or use them for decoration.