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Heartwings Love Notes 772 - Easter Eggs are more than just Food

Heartwings says, "Nourishing eggs are also an important symbol."

A favorite memory I have of Easter is of dying my eggs using onion skins. For weeks I had saved up the papery wrappings of the
outside of the onions. Now it was time to put them to use. Using string I secured the onion skins to my eggs, not an easy task and
set them on to boil. The results were quite lovely and I was grateful to my friend Maggie for sharing her knowledge of how eggs were
originally colored in her native homeland.

Eggs have always had mythological significance. The oldest recorded writings known as the Vedas, from India, say the world evolved
from a cosmic egg. According to Wikepedia other mythologies featuring eggs include the Egyptian, the Phoenician, the Greek, the
Chinese and the Finnish. As all life is born from eggs—whether external or internal, it make perfect sense that a holiday which began
as a fertility celebration would feature them.

Easter is essentially a spring festival. The Christian expression of it still relates to life and its regeneration. Eggs are the ultimate
symbol of this. Red dyed eggs have been found buried at Bronze Age sites. These were surely connected to the worship of the
pre-Christian deity, in this case the goddess in charge of fertility for both livestock and fields in the springtime. The name Easter
derives from the name Eostre, the Anglo Saxon goddess of Spring or Ostara the Germanic version of the goddess's name.

Easter eggs continue to be important and many households will overflow with them after the holidays. My favorite way to use hard
boiled Easter eggs is in egg salad sandwiches. This recipe is for 6 eggs. I don't peel them but instead break them in half and scoop
out the insides. Chop and mash with ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon tarragon, Salt, pepper, a tablespoon or more of horseradish
sauce and ½ teaspoon of dry mustard. Add ¼ cup finely chopped celery, and ¼ cup finely chopped onion. If you like curry flavor, add
a teaspoon or so to taste.

May you enjoy your eggs at any time of year,
 

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

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