Beautiful, naturally dyed eggs are a traditional part of the Easter celebration in many countries across the globe, including Armenia, Russia, Serbia, and Greece. Now you can make them part of your spring traditions, too!
Many European, Mediterranean and West-Asian countries share this egg-dying tradition, including Russia, Serbia, and Greece. However, my closest ties (aka my grandkids) are half Armenian, so that’s who’s getting top billing today!
Three of the most adorable Armenian-Americans ever! (Says their Nana.)
In 301, Armenia became the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion, and since that time, Easter has been a beloved and much anticipated holiday for its people. Today it is celebrated with many traditional events, dishes, songs, greetings.
The custom of coloring eggs red for Easter has its roots in the biblical lore regarding red eggs and cheorek (sweet bread):
When Christ was crucified, his mother took some eggs and bread wrapped in the shawl. When the Mother saw her Son crucified and his arms bleeding, she knelt down and cried. The Mother’s tears and Son’s blood dropping on the shawl colored the eggs and bread. Then the Mother put the shawl on her head.
These beautiful, traditionally dyed eggs are very easy to make – the most difficult part of making them is collecting the onion skins. If you plan ahead, you can just save your onion skins as you use them. However, the easiest way is to go to your local grocery store and clean out the bottoms of the onion bins. I filled a large sack in a matter of minutes, and they didn’t charge me a cent.
How to Make Naturally Dyed Armenian Easter Eggs
To make naturally dyed eggs with lovely, leafy designs, you will need:
- 1 large soup pot
- 1 bag of onion skins (probably about 8-10 onions worth, or more)
- 1 pair of nylons (yes, they can be old or runny.)
- Eggs
- Cilantro, dill, or parsley (or anything else that you think would look pretty)
- Twist ties, yarn or twine
- Olive oil for polishing eggs
PREPARE THE DYE (You can do this step a day or two ahead of time if you want.)
Fill the soup pot with onion skins. Add enough water (about 2-3 quarts) to cover the skins and push them all down in the water.
Over medium heat, bring to a boil and then simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
LEAF DESIGN PREP
- Use scissors to cut the legs of the nylons into 4-5” tubes.
- Tie a tight knot at the end of each tube.
- Use a little water to adhere a small leaf or flower to an egg.
- Carefully insert the egg into the nylon tube and draw the nylon tightly up and around it.
- Secure the end of the tube with a twist tie, yarn, or twine.
DYING THE EGGS (For solid eggs with no design, start here.)
- Put raw eggs into the cool dye. Make sure they are completely submerged. (I like to leave the onion skins in the dye and use them to separate and cushion the eggs.)
- Bring dye to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, and allow the eggs bathe in the dye for at least another 10-15 minutes, until they reach that lovely brick-red color.
- Remove eggs from dye bath and allow to cool completely.
FINISHING THE EGGS
- Remove nylon tube from egg. (You can use these again.)
- Carefully peel off leaves or flowers.
- Polish eggs with a little olive oil and a paper towel.
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Many thanks, Maria, for all your help and encouragement. (And thanks, Google Translate, for making it possible!)
Շնորհակալություն, Մարիա, բոլորի համար, ձեր օգնության եւ քաջալերանքի.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful post, such a lovely idea for Easter:-)
These are BEAUTIFUL, Renee! Those three kids are even cuter than the eggs, though 😉 I love the leaf pattern – so creative!
Thanks, Marlynn. The results remind me somewhat of solar printing, so next year I want to experiment more with other flora – flowers, other herbs, etc, and see what I can come up with.
These are absolutely beautiful, Renee, and what a fun project for the weekend!
Thank you, Christine. They were so much easier to make than I expected.
I love that you shared the history along with the very practical advice on how to create these beautiful eggs (never would have thought to get onion skins that way!)
Thank you, Pech. You should have seen the lady at Winco when I plopped that big bag of onion skins on the counter and asked her what she wanted for them. When I told her what they were for, she just laughed and said, “Well, I don’t have a code for that, so I guess you should just take them.”
These are beautiful! I love the markings. Great story to accompany as well. Well done!
Thank you, Rachel. The history of Armenia is a testimony to the strength and character of its people. They have been through so much.
Wow, gorgeous! We may have to try this.
Thank you! You should definitely give it a go – it was so easy to do!
The eggs are beautiful. This month I’m also remembering the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, though it’s a sad thing to bring up during a happy holiday. But it’s worth thinking about, and hoping that our generation and our century can do better.
That heartbreaking and tragic part of Armenian history is little known to the average American, yet it foreshadowed things to come a generation later, and continues to have lasting impact on the country’s people and their culture. I thought about including a paragraph about it, and even wrote it up, but removed it at the last minute to keep the focus on Easter. Nevertheless, the symbolism of the holiday – renewal and hope – is profoundly moving when coupled with an even a rudimentary understanding of what the Armenian people have transcended.
What a fun way to naturally dye Easter eggs. Love this!
I’ve already shared this post with two friends today. I absolutely love this method for dying eggs. Haven’t tried it yet, but now I am determined to. Thanks for sharing, cheers!
Thank you for sharing, Danielle! Be sure to come back and let me know how your eggs turn out!
They turned out beautiful!
These are STUNNING. Love the natural dye ingredients and the leaves make such gorgeous patterns! Such a sophisticated result.
I absolutely love these! Natural, beautiful, they’re perfect!
Thank you so much for the kind words, Michelle!
Is it ok once you prepare the onion shells to leave this for four or more days before you add the eggs to colour??
Yes, the dye can be prepared many days ahead of time.