Here’s a look at the pious custom of red eggs in the Orthodox Church for you and your families to enjoy. Where did the tradition come from anyway? It seems there are a few possible answers to this question…of which I prefer to believe in the miracle that God worked through His handmaiden, Mary Magdalene (whom by the way is often wrongly attributed as the prostitute who anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair ).
According to tradition, during a dinner with the emperor Tiberius Caesar, Mary Magdalene was speaking about Christ’s Resurrection. Caesar scoffed at her, saying that a man could rise from the dead no more than the egg in her hand could turn red. Immediately, the egg turned red. Because of this, icons of Mary Magdalene sometimes depict her holding a red egg. Also, this is believed to be an explanation for dyeing eggs red at Pascha.
Other symbolism, not as dogma, but as tradition includes:
*The egg as the new life in Christ through His resurrection
*Red for the color of our Lord’s blood but also for His divinity
*The outer shell to be cracked as the doors of Hades are shattered
Since children enjoy decorating the eggs, why not encourage them to display their faith on them, as the picture shows! Be sure not to throw away any icons if you use them, but certainly include symbols like ~ icxc, fish, crosses, tree of life, the Trinity, 4 Greek Letters for Mother of God…etc. Download from here
