Chas - that sounds like a really bice, warm family time. How wonderful. Sure feels good to be able to enjoy life without all the condemnation doesn't it?
Nothing celebrates Easter in a Greek home like the traditional cracking of eggs! In fact, I bet as much excitement is stirred up in Greek households over red hard-boiled Easter eggs as in Western homes over the Easter Bunny. Cries of "Christos Anesti" (Christ is Risen) fill the room, as children and adults alike hit another's egg with their own. (...)
So if your family wants to have a crack at the Kokkina Avga, or red eggs, here's how it goes: You need enough red eggs for each person to have one (recipe below). Seated around the dinner table, egg in hand, each person turns to the one next to him or her, and saying "Christos Anesti," hits that person's egg. The one whose eggs survives the crack turns to the next person and repeats the ritual (that's right, if your egg cracks you're out!). This repeats around the table until only one person's egg remains uncracked.
The hope is to be the possessor of the strongest egg/shell, which, if unbroken wins. There are a few rules: eggs must be struck directly on top, not on the sides; and the pointed end must attack the other's pointed end, or the round end, the round end.
The reward for having the unbroken egg at the end? Good luck for the year… that, and the pride of boasting about your secret way of holding the egg so that it didn't break, pretty much makes you the star of Easter for the rest of the day.
==============================================
Here's the theological answer:
The distribution of colored eggs at the conclusion of Paschal services is a custom that is observed in some places. If I am correct, I think the custom is more common among the faithful of Greece than among the Slavic lands. And I have heard of this custom among some non-Orthodox as well. There is nothing in the service books of the Orthodox Church calling for the distribution of dyed eggs at the end of services. There is, however, a prayer for the blessing of eggs and cheese, as well as a prayer for the blessing of meat, on Holy Pascha. Many Orthodox, especially the Slavs, bring food to church on Holy Saturday or on Pascha, and this food is then blessed with these prayers.
While there are a number of explanations for the blessing of eggs -- there is even a legend that St. Mary Magdalene, shortly after the resurrection, traveled to Rome and presented the Emperor with a red egg while exclaiming "Christ is risen" -- no doubt the association of eggs with Pascha is derived from the fact that during the Great Fast the faithful refrain from eating meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, wine, and oil. Hence, these foods are eaten on Pascha to "break the Fast."
As far as theological significance, there is, quite frankly, little. Explanations that eggs symbolize new life, or that the cracking of eggs symbolizes the shattering of Hades by the victorious Christ, are pious explanations, but are not theological statements or actions.
Within the Orthodox Church one will find a number of pious customs which are not universal among all Orthodox Christians. [For example, among the Greek speaking churches there is a custom of baking a special bread known as the "Vasilopita" on the Feast of St. Basil the Great, 1 January. This custom is not found among Slavic Orthodox.] Few references to such things are found in service books because they are not a part of the liturgical service proper but, rather, customs which express a particular aspect of the faith among a certain group of Orthodox Christians. Often, these customs are also found among non-Orthodox of the same region. [Example: Orthodox of the Carpathian region bring food baskets to church to be blessed. The Roman Catholics of the same region, as well as in Poland, Ukraine, and elsewhere, have the same custom. It is interesting to note that this rite is not found in the Roman service books.]
(Either way, I always make sure that I loose to my mother-in-law!)
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outofdafog
Chas - that sounds like a really bice, warm family time. How wonderful. Sure feels good to be able to enjoy life without all the condemnation doesn't it?
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jardinero
Oh! That's right, Chas! Hope all U Farley's have a Kalo Pashcha! (don't eat too much!)
Christos Anesti - indeed!
J.
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krys
Indeed.....that should be our "logo" every day.
Enjoy your guests and have a wonderful time!
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dmiller
Christos Anesti, Kalo Pashcha to you too!
:)-->
Sounds like a good time will be had by all.
Question (if I may) -- what's the "breaking red eggs" all about?
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ChasUFarley
Here's the "fun" answer:
Nothing celebrates Easter in a Greek home like the traditional cracking of eggs! In fact, I bet as much excitement is stirred up in Greek households over red hard-boiled Easter eggs as in Western homes over the Easter Bunny. Cries of "Christos Anesti" (Christ is Risen) fill the room, as children and adults alike hit another's egg with their own. (...)
So if your family wants to have a crack at the Kokkina Avga, or red eggs, here's how it goes: You need enough red eggs for each person to have one (recipe below). Seated around the dinner table, egg in hand, each person turns to the one next to him or her, and saying "Christos Anesti," hits that person's egg. The one whose eggs survives the crack turns to the next person and repeats the ritual (that's right, if your egg cracks you're out!). This repeats around the table until only one person's egg remains uncracked.
The hope is to be the possessor of the strongest egg/shell, which, if unbroken wins. There are a few rules: eggs must be struck directly on top, not on the sides; and the pointed end must attack the other's pointed end, or the round end, the round end.
The reward for having the unbroken egg at the end? Good luck for the year… that, and the pride of boasting about your secret way of holding the egg so that it didn't break, pretty much makes you the star of Easter for the rest of the day.
==============================================
Here's the theological answer:
The distribution of colored eggs at the conclusion of Paschal services is a custom that is observed in some places. If I am correct, I think the custom is more common among the faithful of Greece than among the Slavic lands. And I have heard of this custom among some non-Orthodox as well. There is nothing in the service books of the Orthodox Church calling for the distribution of dyed eggs at the end of services. There is, however, a prayer for the blessing of eggs and cheese, as well as a prayer for the blessing of meat, on Holy Pascha. Many Orthodox, especially the Slavs, bring food to church on Holy Saturday or on Pascha, and this food is then blessed with these prayers.
While there are a number of explanations for the blessing of eggs -- there is even a legend that St. Mary Magdalene, shortly after the resurrection, traveled to Rome and presented the Emperor with a red egg while exclaiming "Christ is risen" -- no doubt the association of eggs with Pascha is derived from the fact that during the Great Fast the faithful refrain from eating meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, wine, and oil. Hence, these foods are eaten on Pascha to "break the Fast."
As far as theological significance, there is, quite frankly, little. Explanations that eggs symbolize new life, or that the cracking of eggs symbolizes the shattering of Hades by the victorious Christ, are pious explanations, but are not theological statements or actions.
Within the Orthodox Church one will find a number of pious customs which are not universal among all Orthodox Christians. [For example, among the Greek speaking churches there is a custom of baking a special bread known as the "Vasilopita" on the Feast of St. Basil the Great, 1 January. This custom is not found among Slavic Orthodox.] Few references to such things are found in service books because they are not a part of the liturgical service proper but, rather, customs which express a particular aspect of the faith among a certain group of Orthodox Christians. Often, these customs are also found among non-Orthodox of the same region. [Example: Orthodox of the Carpathian region bring food baskets to church to be blessed. The Roman Catholics of the same region, as well as in Poland, Ukraine, and elsewhere, have the same custom. It is interesting to note that this rite is not found in the Roman service books.]
(Either way, I always make sure that I loose to my mother-in-law!)
:-)
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