The Tradition of New Life

You really should begin early in the year. (As soon as your Christmas tree is down!) Plant crocus, daffodil or hyacinth bulbs in a bowl of sand, covering halfway. Leave in a dark closet for two months, keeping the soil moist (a process known as forcing bulbs). When shoots appear, let them bask in the sun. Don't forget to leave one bulb unplanted as a reminder of how they began.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EASTER EGGS
Easter Eggs, the symbol of fertility and new life, are easily the most identifiable symbol of the holiday. Eggs are an Easter custom that date back to Pagan times. The bright colors that adorn the eggs symbolize the sunlight of spring and celebrate the equinox.

Eggs are very much a symbol of new life. Traditionally they were also a symbol of Easter joy because they were a forbidden item during Lent. Now, dyed to take to grandmothers for an annual Easter egg hunt, they can bear all manner of joyful messages.

Different cultures have developed their own ways of decorating Easter eggs. For instance, the crimson eggs imbedded in Greek Easter Breads are so colored to symbolize the blood of Christ. Easter celebrants in Germany use natural items like leaves and ferns to make a kind of reverse stencil for their eggs. Perhaps the most elaborate are Pysanki eggs, a masterpiece of skill and workmanship from the Ukraine. Melted beeswax is applied to the fresh white egg, which is then dipped in successive dyes. After each dip, wax is painted over the area where the preceding color is to remain. Eventually a complex pattern of lines and colors emerges into a work of art.

In many countries, the eggs colored are not hard boiled, but rather "blown" -- the contents removed by piercing the end of each egg with a needle and blowing the contents into a bowl. The hollow eggs are then dyed various colors and hung from shrubs and trees during Easter Week. Using hollowed eggshells also allows you to preserve favorite eggs from year to year (if you're very, very careful).