Greek Easter Eggs

Dyeing red Easter eggs is a symbol of Orthodox Easter and a long-standing tradition. Although it is also quite common to dye eggs in other colors, Greek Easter is rarely or almost never celebrated without red eggs!

 

The tradition of cracking red eggs when the clock strikes midnight into Easter Sunday symbolizes new life, much like when a chick cracks its shell and comes to life. The egg-cracking game or "tsougrisma" as it is called in Greece is an integral part of Easter celebrations and the person with the strongest egg is said they will have good luck for the whole year!

 

Since Greek Easter eggs are not just for celebration purposes, but are also meant to be eaten, here are 4 simple tips for vibrant and perfectly cooked Easter eggs:

 

1. Leave the eggs out of the fridge for at least 3 hours before boiling them.

2. Boil the eggs in cold water–if you place the eggs in boiling water their shells are more than likely to crack.

3. Keep in mind that fresh eggs are less likely to crack, but will be a bit more difficult to peel.

4. Add a pinch of salt in the water; this will help prevent your eggs from cracking while boiling and make them easier to peel.