Preparing for Easter. Decorating eggs, natural colours

You all may already know that in Russia we also are fond of decorated or painted eggs for Easter. We cook and decorate them in advance, then bless in the church and after that eat, give as present or 'play' with it. You may read about this traditions and about the history of the 'Easter egg' in one of our older posts.

In Russia Easter eggs were put over fresh green oats, wheat, and sometimes pale green tiny leaves of watercress, which are specially pre-germinated for a holiday.

As was the custom to keep the eggs during the whole year until next Easter, later eggs were made of wood and painted with ornaments and designs. Also there appeared  eggs made of porcelain, silver and precious stones.

Today I will show you the ways you may decorate the eggs. The ideas are taken from very nice community 'Leisure of orthodox children' and from the web-site www.kuking.net

1. The most traditional way is to paint them with onion peel

Collect the peel in advance. Depending on the color of peel the color of eggs may vary from light red to dark brown. If you want the color was more saturated, you must take more peel, and boil it for half an hour before you put the egg into the 'broth'. Almost purple colour for eggs is obtained from the peel of red onion.

In order that the eggs do not burst during cooking,  hold it for an hour in  a warm place; when boiling in the water add a tablespoon of salt.

2. Some other natural colours for the eggs

 gilding
 Add to hot water 2.3 tbsp turmeric, boil, so that the color was more intense.

  pink
  Soak cooked eggs in beet juice, or cranberry.

  purple
  Add flowers of violets to the hot water and soak overnight. If you add the water a drop of lemon juice, you get the color of lavender.

  green
 boil the eggs with spinach.

  lavender
  Soak eggs in grape juice.

  Umber
  Boil the eggs in 250 ml of coffee.