THE FIRST EGG HAS A MAGICAL POWER
The red egg is a symbol of Easter.
The first three eggs are dyed on Holy Thursday before sunrise so the sun does not see them and therefore, according to beliefs, they are not spoiled for years. Old rituals say that at dawn on Holy Thursday at least one red egg should be dyed.
– The first egg similes to the Lord and it is called Lord’s egg.
– The second egg is for host of the family.
– The third egg is for prosperity and cattle/goods.
The first egg is believed to have magical powers, so its place is under the icon. The folklore says that it is used for treating certain diseases. Rituals say that the host should not be hungry when starts with dyeing the eggs. She should have at least a bite of bread. Apparently if she is dyeing on an empty stomach, such eggs do not bring joy, but the person dyeing the eggs could be unhappy and unhealthy. However, in dyeing eggs, as in all other things that are being done, most important is good thought. So, as soon as the first rays of light come out on Holy Thursday, the housewife (or whoever dyes the eggs) wakes up the family and roles over the first dyed egg over their faces saying: red, white, big/large/fat! Dyeing eggs for Easter is one of most social customs for the holiday, which actually is a symbol of life and birth, and the color red, which usually eggs are dyed, represents Christ’s blood.
This tradition comes from the act of Mary Magdalene. After the suffering of Jesus Christ, she went to Rome to preach the gospel. When stepped in front of the Emperor Tiberius, she provided him a red egg and said, “Christ has risen”. Since then, on the eve of Easter, Christians dye eggs and thus mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
