A Beautiful Tradition

I bet right about now, Courtney and Richard from A Layer of Love, the sixth book in my Recipe for Love series, are planning Easter activities for their kids, Jesse and Avery. And I would guess that part of that plan will include dyeing Easter eggs.

60,000 years ago, they would likely have etched the shells with designs. If they were decorating with the ancient Persians 5,000 years ago, they would have used plant-based dyes. Over the years, eggs have also been painted, decorated with wax, covered in gold leaf… The methods for decorating eggs have been varied and numerous. However, I would guess that Courtney and Richard will likely take the kids out to buy one of those popular egg-dyeing kits.  And I would imagine that Jesse and Avery will argue a little over which kit to buy – will it be the glow-in-the-dark kit? The neon colors kit? The one where you can turn the eggs into animals with various stickers and props? But do you ever wonder how those kits came to be?

Well, in 1893, a pharmacist in Newark, New Jersey, William Townley, discovered how to concentrate dye into tablets. He sold them for five cents, and customers could dissolve them into water and vinegar, just like you do today. And that was where the modern egg dyeing kit got its start. He eventually formed the PAAS Dye Company, which is now synonymous with Easter. Today, PAAS sells about forty million kits each Easter.

Do you dye eggs as a part of your Easter tradition? Do you buy the kits, use food coloring or plant dyes, or maybe try more creative methods? Email me and let me know. kelly@authorkellycollins.com

However you do (or don’t) decorate your eggs, for those who celebrate, I wish you a lovely Easter filled with peace and joy (and hopefully some Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs or jellybeans).