Easter – How to Decorate Easter Eggs

In Italia come in Inghilterra, a Pasqua non possono mancare le uova sode decorate. Oltre a essere carinissime come centrotavola e/o segnaposto,  sono anche un simpaticissimo regalo da fare ad amici e parenti, ecco perché mi piace realizzarne sempre di diverse.  Quest’anno, per le mie uova, ho trovato alcuni spunti molto interessanti proprio in questo video di English Heritage. Che dite, proviamo a farle insieme?

To begin with, here is what we need to decorate our eggs:

– fresh eggs, preferably with white shells
– food colouring
– white wine vinegar
– a lightly coloured wax crayon
– vegetable oil
– disposable gloves
– a spoon

While you watch the video, try to catch the answers to these questions:

• What kind of eggs did Ancient Egyptians use to decorate?
• Why did early Christians in Mesopotamia dye eggs?
• How many eggs did King Edward I have coloured or covered in gold leaf?
• Who gave Henry VIII an egg in a silver case as a present?
• What are ‘pace eggs’?

If you need help, here’s the transcript:

“Today we’re making some decorated eggs with colourful dyes! They’re really easy and fun to make and you’ll end up with some beautiful bright eggs, which are excellent for Easter egg hunts and games!
People have been decorating eggs for thousands of years.
Ancient Egyptians decorated ostrich eggs and early Christians in Mesopotamia dyed eggs to mark Easter. In 1290 King Edward I paid for 450 eggs to be coloured or covered in gold leaf and given to his entourage. And Henry VIII received one in a silver case as a present from the Pope. And from the 18th century children would decorate their own eggs at Easter or get them as presents. These were called ‘pace eggs’ and they’re what we’ll be making today.
To make your own pace eggs you will need:
– some fresh eggs, any kind or size will do, but we recommend using ones with white shells, because you’ll end up with more vivid results
– food colouring, we’re using yellow, red, green and blue
– white wine vinegar
– a lightly coloured wax crayon
– vegetable oil
– disposable gloves
– and a spoon

If your eggs have stamps on them, you can remove this by gently scrubbing them with a little white wine vinegar. We’ve already hard boiled these ones for ten to twelve minutes, but the timing will depend on the size or variety of your eggs.
Start by drawing on the shell lightly with a wax crayon. When this egg is submerged in the dye, it will leave an inscription on a coloured background. Next, it’s time to make some dye for the eggs. Start with a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, then add around 250 ml of cold water. Add your food colouring and give it a good mix. The more colouring you use, the more vibrant your eggs will be. We used around 10 drops. It might be a good idea to wear gloves to avoid your hands getting stained. Gently lower your eggs into the dye bath and leave submerged for around ten minutes, until the eggs are fully dyed. Once the dyed eggs are dried, use some kitchen towel to smear some oil over each one. Gently rub this off to give the eggs a nice shine. The oil will also help to hold the colour in place. You can store your finished eggs in the fridge until required.
And there you go, brightly decorated eggs for your Easter celebrations!
For a fun-filled day out, this Easter find an Easter Adventure Quest near you and hunt for chocolate rewards in England’s most spectacular historic places.

And here are some words and expressions used in the video:

– (to) end up = (to) possess something at the end or as a result of something else
– ostrich =  a very large, fast running African bird that cannot fly
– dye =  substance used to colour materials
– (to) dye = (to) colour (cloth, hair, etc.) with a dye
– gold leaf = very thin gold sheet
– pace egg = easter egg
– (to) scrub = (to) clean with hard rubbing
– (to) hard boil = (to) to boil (an egg) until the yolk and white have become firm or solid
– (to) get stained = (to) become  marked or dyed or discoloured
– kitchen towel = kitchen paper = thick absorbent paper used for cleaning, wiping up liquid
– (to) smear = (to) spread an oily, greasy or wet substance on something

Se volete saperne di più sulle tradizioni pasquali nel Regno Unito, non perdetevi i post Easter Recipe -Hot Cross Buns e Easter traditions in the UK.

Nel frattempo, le mie uova decorate si sono asciugate! Sono certa che faranno un figurone questa Pasqua! Happy Easter! j