TRIVIA:
QUOTES:
CHUCKLES/BELLY
LAUGHS & GROANERS
TRIVIA:
Of all the symbols associated with Easter the
egg, the symbol of fertility and new life, is the most identifiable. The
customs and traditions of using eggs have been associated with Easter for
centuries
Originally Easter eggs were painted with bright
colors to represent the sunlight of spring and were used in Easter-egg
rolling contests or given as gifts. After they were colored and etched
with various designs the eggs were exchanged by lovers and romantic admirers,
much the same as valentines. In medieval time eggs were traditionally given
at Easter to the servants. In Germany eggs were given to children along
with other Easter gifts
Different cultures have developed their own
ways of decorating Easter eggs. Crimson eggs, to honor the blood of Christ,
are exchanged in Greece. In parts of Germany and Austria green eggs are
used on Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday). Slavic peoples decorate their
eggs in special patterns of gold and silver
Austrian artists design patterns by fastening
ferns and tiny plants around the eggs, which are then boiled. The plants
are then removed revealing a striking white pattern. The Poles and Ukrainians
decorate eggs with simple designs and colors. A number of eggs are made
in the distinctive manner called pysanki (to design, to write)
Pysanki eggs are a masterpiece of skill and
workmanship. Melted beeswax is applied to the fresh white egg. It is then
dipped in successive baths of dye. After each dip wax is painted over the
area where the preceding color is to remain. Eventually a complex pattern
of lines and colors emerges into a work of art
In Germany and other countries eggs used for
cooking where not broken, but the contents were removed by piercing the
end of each egg with a needle and blowing the contents into a bowl. The
hollow eggs were dyed and hung from shrubs and trees during the Easter
Week. The Armenians would decorate hollow eggs with pictures of Christ,
the Virgin Mary, and other religious designs
Making Natural Easter Egg Dyes
Give the Easter bunny a run for his money
by dyeing Easter eggs the natural way, using common foods and flowers.
The longer you soak the eggs in the following liquids, the more intense
the colors will be. Remember to start with hard-cooked eggs and refrigerate
until ready to use.
If desired, before dyeing the eggs, draw shapes,
pictures or inspiring words on them with crayons or a piece of wax. The
wax won't absorb the color so the designs will show through. Using a crayon,
simply draw a design onto your eggs and then dye as you would any other
Easter egg. Your crayon design will be accentuated by your choice of dye!
Rubber bands are all you need to make tie-dyed
eggs. Use a collection of different sized rubber bands. Wrap the rubber
bands, one at a time, around the eggs. Make sure to leave some of the egg
shell exposed so it can be dyed. Once the eggs are dyed to the color you
like, remove them from the water and let them dry. Once dried completely,
pull the rubber bands off to reveal your banded design.
Natural Dyeing of Easter Eggs
Wash eggs in warm soapy water to remove any
oily residue that may impede the color from adhering to the eggs. Let eggs
cool before attempting to dye.
You need to use your own judgment about exactly
how much of each dyestuff to use. Except for spices, place a handful (or
two or three handfuls) of a dyestuff in a saucepan.
Add tap water to come at least one inch above
the dyestuff. NOTE: This will be about 1 cup of water for each
handful of dyestuff. Bring the water just to a boil, and then reduce the
heat to low. Let simmer about 15 minutes or up to an hour until you like
the color obtained. Keep in mind that dyed eggs will not get as dark as
the color in the pan. Remove the pan from the heat.
Pour mixture into a liquid measuring cup. Add
2 to 3 teaspoons of white vinegar for each cup of strained dye liquid.
Pour the mixture into a bowl or jar that is deep enough to completely cover
the eggs you want to dye. Use a slotted spoon to lower the eggs into
the hot liquid. Leave the eggs in the water until you like the color. NOTE:
Allow the egg to sit in the tea for several hours or overnight. The longer
the egg soaks, the deeper the final color will be. If you plan to eat the
eggs be sure to do this step in the refrigerator.
When eggs are dyed to the color you desire,
lift the eggs out with the slotted spoon. Let them dry on a rack or drainer.
NOTE: An egg carton works nicely as a drying rack. Be careful to handle
the eggs gently and minimally as some of the colors can easily be rubbed
off before the egg has dried.
For a textured look, dab the still wet egg
with a sponge.
Eggs colored with natural dyes have a dull
finish and are not glossy. After they are dry, you can rub the eggs with
cooking oil or mineral oil to give them a soft sheen.
 Color
|
Items To Dye With
|
| Blue |
Canned Blueberries
Red Cabbage Leaves (boiled)
Purple Grape Juice |
Brown
or Beige |
Strong Coffee
Instant Coffee
Black Walnut Shells (boiled)
Black Tea |
| Brown Gold |
Dill Seeds |
Brown
Orange |
Chili Powder |
| Green |
Spinach Leaves (boiled)
Liquid Chlorophyll |
| Greenish Yellow |
Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled) |
| Grey |
Purple or red grape juice
or beet juice |
| Lavender |
Small Quantity of Purple Grape Juice
Violet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Red Zinger Tea |
| Orange |
Yellow Onion Skins (boiled)
Carrots
Paprika |
| Pink |
Beets
Cranberries or Juice
Raspberries
Red Grape Juice
Juice from Pickled Beets |
| Red |
Lots of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Pomegranate juice
Canned Cherries (with syrup)
Raspberries |
| Violet or Purple |
Violet Blossoms
Hibiscus tea
Small Quantity of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Red Wine |
| Yellow |
Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled)
Carrot Tops (boiled)
Chamomile Tea
Celery Seed (boiled)
Green tea
Ground Cumin (boiled)
Ground Turmeric (boiled) or Saffron |
QUOTES:
The resurrection
gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no
matter what my circumstances.
~Robert Flatt
The joyful news
that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before
us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives
us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make
the sacrifice.
~Henry Knox Sherrill
Easter is the demonstration
of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless.
~Charles M. Crowe
Where man sees but
withered leaves, God sees sweet flowers growing. ~Albert Laighton
Our Lord has written
the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf
in spring-time. ~Martin Luther
Easter spells out
beauty, the rare beauty of new life.
~S.D. Gordon
But from this earth,
this grave, this dust,
My God shall raise
me up, I trust. ~Walter Raleigh
He takes men out
of time and makes them feel eternity.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Let the resurrection
joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty
and happiness.
~Floyd W. Tomkins
Well pleaseth me
the sweet time of Easter
That maketh the
leaf and the flower come out. ~Bertran de Born
Easter tells us
that life is to be interpreted not simply in terms of things but in terms
of ideals. ~Charles M. Crowe
'Twas Easter-Sunday.
The full-blossomed trees
Filled all the
air with fragrance and with joy.
~Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, Spanish Student
The story of Easter
is the story of God's wonderful window of divine surprise.
~Carl Knudsen
For I remember it
is Easter morn,
And life and love
and peace are all new born. ~Alice Freeman Palmer
Easter is not a
time for groping through dusty, musty tomes or tombs to disprove spontaneous
generation or even to prove life eternal. It is a day to fan the
ashes of dead hope, a day to banish doubts and seek the slopes where the
sun is rising, to revel in the faith which transports us out of ourselves
and the dead past into the vast and inviting unknown.
~Author unknown,
as quoted in the Lewiston Tribune
Tomb, thou shalt
not hold Him longer;
Death is strong,
but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the
dark, the light;
Stronger than the
wrong, the right...
~Phillips Brooks,
"An Easter Carol"
The stars shall
fade away, the sun himself
Grow dim with age,
and Nature sink in years;
But thou shalt
flourish in immortal youth,
Unhurt amid the
war of elements,
The wreck of matter,
and the crush of worlds.
~Joseph Addison
Awake, thou wintry
earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers,
laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn,
"An Easter Hymn"
I think of the garden
after the rain;
And hope to my
heart comes singing,
At morn the cherry-blooms
will be white,
And the Easter
bells be ringing!
~Edna Dean Proctor,
"Easter Bells"