Published: March 11, 2008 04:50 pm            

Eggtastic

Easter eggs a colorful tradition

FAIRMONT — By Katie Wilson

Times West Virginian



Peter Cottontail has never left such pretty eggs before.

These days, Easter eggs are breaking out of their shells.

A quick trip to your local discount store for an egg-coloring kit can boggle the senses.

The egg-dying kits have evolved from the standard vinegar/water/colored pellet mixture to a wide variety of fun stuff. Stickers, crayons, glitter and even a tie-dye kit are the norm at your local discount-store racks these days. If your kids are into animals, there’s a special dye kit with animal decorations. If your daughters are into glitter and sparkles, there’s dyes and decorations to make your eggs the work of a diva.

Maybe you’re looking for interesting ways to make your Easter eggs unique. A quick trip around the Web will bring up enough ideas to make your Easter bonnet spin. Try drizzling rubber cement over an egg before dipping it in the dye. After the dye is dry, rub off the rubber cement. The swirls and designs will show up white against the brightly colored egg. Maybe you have small children and don’t want to mess with dye baths. Keep your hard-boiled eggs warm, maybe in a slow cooker, and let your child draw on them with their crayons. The warm egg melts the wax, leaving a pretty design behind.

The Young family has lots of fun every spring decorating several dozen Easter eggs, Fairmont’s Tabitha Young said. Every year, the whole family gets together to dye and decorate about three dozen eggs for her two nieces and two nephews. One of their favorite activities is writing on the eggs with a white crayon before dipping them in the dye bath.

“They come out with writing on them,” Young said.

There are even a few special eggs known as “prize eggs,” she said. On Easter morning, the Easter Bunny hides the eggs so the kids can find them. The finders of the “prize eggs” get a prize for finding them, she said.

The adults have learned one thing over the years: the night before Easter, they count the eggs to make sure all of them have been found, she said.

Throughout history, many people have colored eggs in the spring. Eggs are the symbol of rebirth. Since Easter occurs in the spring — the time of year when the earth is renewing itself — the egg is a natural symbol for the time of year.

Arguably, the most famous Easter eggs were created for the Romanovs, the Russian ruling family. The Faberge Eggs were created by jeweler and goldsmith Carl Faberge. These days, they’re considered priceless treasures, having sold at auction for millions.

E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.

        

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