It is a tradition in the countries of former Yugoslavia among those who celebrate Easter to dye the Easter eggs by using different plants. Of course, in the last few decades we've seen many new coloring options available in the stores, but this tradition still remained. Not having celebrated Christian holidays as a child, I have picked up on technique of dying eggs just recently. It is best achieved with white eggs, which should be washed in water and vinegar and left to sit at room temperature for couple of hours (to help prevent the cracking during boiling)
There are two parts to it: decorating and dying.
For decoration, you can use several methods, each of them is meant to the area
prevent behind the decoration from being colored. You can paint with hot wax (never tried it), place rubber bands, or place 'stickers' in the form of leaves. I usually just go out in the yard and pick up weeds that have the most interesting leaves or flowers. You can also use parsley or other herbs with small leaves. In order for them to stick to the egg, I first dip them in water, and then nicely spread them on the egg. To keep them in place during boiling I then place the egg in a knee pantyhose, being careful not to mess up the leaf. After each egg I wrap a rubber band on the pantyhose, to keep it securely in place. I usually place no more than 3 eggs in each hose.For coloring the eggs, you can use different vegetables that have strong colors.
prevent I've heard spinach used for green, carrots for orange, eggplant for purple....but every year the only produce that I am able to get a good color out of is red onion. I get extra onion skins from the grocery store in advance (just pick up those already loose in the bin, don't actually peal the onions in the store). Then place a layer of onion skins in a pan, fill with water, put eggs, and put more skins at the top. Every year I also try those other colors, which just make the eggs yellowish. I then put those off-white eggs in the onion pan last, and they end up having a different shade than those eggs that were in the onions all the time. The eggs should be cooked on very low heat, to prevent them from moving too much and cracking. I leave them cooking for about an hour, but some cook them for several hours. Once they are cool enough, I separate them, wash and dry them. Then to make them shine, I rub them with an oiled paper towel.
Part of the tradition is for each household member to pick an egg and then compete to see whose egg will crack all other eggs. Each contestant first holds the egg so that the top side is free. One person tries to crack another person's egg from the top. Then the other person tries to do the same by using the bottom side of the egg. (usually if the egg is cracked on one side, it has no chance of cracking another egg) The egg that has no cracks then goes on to compete with other eggs until there is only one hole egg left. That egg is then kept as a "keeper of the house", some say until next year! Since it is cooked for hours and has no cracks it does not smell - but I've never tried it :)
Happy Easter, everyone. Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed!
