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Writer's picturekathy sucher

It's Greek Easter: Let the Egg Warfare Begin



One of the more charming food customs of Orthodox Greek Easter is the warfare between red dyed, hard boiled Easter eggs. The red egg is both a symbol of the blood of Christ and his rebirth, symbolized by the fertility of eggs.


Eggs are hard boiled, dyed, then usually polished with olive oil. You can use a commercial dye or if you are a purist boil the eggs in red onions. The success of the latter technique on the general olfactory quality of your house and neighborhood is unproven.


On Easter Sunday which in Greece may be at midnight, family members grab an egg and compete. Each contestant cracks their egg, first on the pointy side then the more rounded. This continues until all eggs (contestants ) are cracked on both sides save the winner. This individual is blessed with luck for the year. Everyone then eats their eggs-depending on your views of consuming eggs colored with red dyes that don't remind you of nature.


That's the short of it. Beyond that there are many techniques some guarded among families for centuries. This would include egg selection-pick the sharpest point, least rounded you can fine; grips-clutch the egg tightly, force your opponent to hit you off center. (I am of course reporting this from extensive research, not personal experience. Don't get me started on the "Smyrna Death Grip.")

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