Catholic Recipe: Easter Eggs

In pre-Christian times eggs were a symbol of spring and fertility. An egg seems dead, yet it contains new life; so does the earth at the end of winter. During the Christian era, this ancient symbolism soon received a new and religious significance: the egg became a symbol of the rock tomb out of which Our Lord gloriously emerged to the new life of His Resurrection. Easter eggs are painted in vivid colors, or decorated with various designs, to remind us of the spiritual joys that should animate us on the great feast.

The Church provides a special blessing for eggs at Easter, and the faithful in many countries eat their first Easter eggs, after a common prayer, at breakfast on Easter Sunday. If the eggs have not received the liturgical blessing from a priest, Father or Mother could sprinkle them with holy water on the morning of the feast.

DIRECTIONS

Preparation: Hard-cook as many eggs as desired. Fill a cup half full of boiling water or enough to completely cover an egg. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon food color. Amount will depend on desired shade. While eggs are hot, dip into cup.

Variations: For stripes, dip egg only partially into coloring; hold steadily for a minute or two. Turn egg on opposite side and repeat, leaving a white stripe down the middle.

For spotted eggs, add several drops of oil to the cup of coloring; stir. When eggs are dipped, spots where the shell has been coated with oil will remain white. When egg has dried, it can be dipped into another color which also has oil added. This gives a speckled effect.