On Eggs and Bulbs

Anne here, reflecting on the topic of eggs — specifically Easter eggs —and bulbs. For people in the northern hemisphere, Easter is also a spring festival, but for those of us in the the antipodes, it comes in autumn.

So while my friends in the northern hemisphere are eagerly looking for early spring bulbs, we on the other side of the world are planting them. But more about bulbs later.

Easter eggs — for some, Easter is all about the giving and receiving of delicious eggs, in all their sizes and flavors. For many there's only one kind of easter egg — chocolate — dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate. Some are filled with caramel or peppermint cream or other flavors, but still, chocolate is the main thing.

There are also the marvelously dyed and sometimes decorated eggs that come with orthodox Easter celebrations. I still miss the wonderful scarlet eggs that the Greek and Macedonian ladies I used to teach always brought me at Easter. Along with delicious cookies.

Some friends of Ukranian, Russian and Rumanian descent still make gorgeous decorated eggs, using traditional methods. I'm not sure exactly where these eggs are from — friends brought them back for me from their travels.

Quite a few people I know have started experimenting to make all kinds of different eggs, using natural or synthetic dyes, sharpie pens, paint, glitter, stickers, decoupage and all sorts of variations. Lots of fun. These eggs were made by Eloisa James and friends — aren't they gorgeous?

And I found some pretty Scandinavian-inspired eggs, made with just a sharpie pen — and many more lovely eggs— on this pinterest site.

You don't even need to mess around with dyes — this cute-but-slightly-wonky little chick was made in a hasty two minutes with a dab of blue-tac, a few snips of an old envelope and some feathers plucked from a hapless feather duster.

But in my family, we often give a different kind of Easter egg. Remember, we live in the southern hemisphere. In my family we give bulbs—the kind you plant in the ground.

Sometimes they're wrapped in gorgeous colored foil or tissue paper-- from the organized person who's going for the easter-egg effect. Sometimes they come in a pretty bag. Occasionally they come in a pot and once or twice they've arrived in a supermarket plastic bag, a messy jumble of dirt and bulbs and grass, dug up from the garden at the last minute.

I loved the mystery of bulbs when I was a little girl. I'd plant a whole lot of tiny little things and months later, up they'd pop -- grape hyacinths, and "soldiers" (lachenlia) and sweet-smelling freesias, dainty hoop petticoat daffodils in their golden crinolines, and gorgeous bright ranunculi (strictly speaking a corm, not a bulb.)

Some bulbs bring memories of the person who gave them — each year when my bluebells come up I think of my beloved godmother, from whose garden they were dug — she said they grew like weeds and she was right, but I love them. (I also think of that scene from Georgette Heyer's The Grand Sophy and hope that one day I'll get to visit a bluebell wood.)

I have fragrant, creamy freesias dug from a garden long covered over by an apartment block, now growing wild in my lawn. And each spring my dad's erlicheer and other jonquils are the first to greet me. The scent made him sneeze, but he still loved to grow them, even though he wouldn't let them in the house.

Other bulbs came in packets, but still recall the person who chose them. Some of them, like tulips and hyacinths only lasted a year or two (for me) but I loved growing them and waiting for them to flower. Yes, bulbs are a fine Easter gift. Of course, we also give chocolate easter eggs, but they don't last nearly as well. Nor do they multiply, alas — quite the contrary.

For us Easter is also a time of barbecues and enjoying the last of the summer warmth, so Easter here is an outdoor time. Many families go away for a family holiday. If you're interested, this is a very old piece about my family easters. And a friend just made these delicious-looking gluten-free hot cross buns. Might have to visit. :)

So what are you doing for Easter (if you celebrate it)? Going away? Gathering with family? Staying home? If you're in the northern hemisphere do you have any spring bulbs yet? Have you eaten any Easter eggs? Decorated some eggs yourself? Baked any easter cookies or made or eaten hot cross buns? And whether or not Easter is part of your life or religion, have a happy and peaceful time.

Comments

[Sonya Heaney]

I'm Ukrainian, so pysanky (the elaborate eggs) are at the heart of Easter for us (which is next week, as we follow the old calendar).

However they're a big pain to make. You paint many layers with beeswax, put them in multiple dyes, and then at the end prick holes in each end and blow the contents of the egg out. And that's when they usually break - after a day of work!

If you don't break them, they last forever. I still have the pysanky I made as a child.

Easter is such a big deal in Ukrainian culture, with lots of special foods and traditions.

[Sonya Heaney]

I should also say I'm Catholic (not a very good one!), not Orthodox. In cultures that follow the old calendar, all religions celebrate Christmas and Easter by different dates.

[Anne Gracie]

Sonya, my best friend in Form 3 (who I still see from time to time) is of Ukranian background and she still makes them. They are beautiful. She also makes a variety of delicious Easter dishes and baked goods.

I made my own version of pysanky once, many years ago as a teen — they certainly took a while to make -- a bit like the batik process, only on something very fragile. Mine were blown eggs, only I emptied the egg first, before the dying. Makes much more sense to blow them at the end, but I was worried that after all my hard work they would shatter in the blowing.

[Anne Gracie]

Yes, they all seem to use dates related to the full moon, but different groups seem to follow different systems, resulting in different dates.
Theres a long wikipedia entry about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computus

[Judy]

This year, I planted comfrey seeds, a lavender plant, and a rosemary plant. The plants in the past haven't survived the summer. I'm hoping that by planting them in pots they'll have a better chance of making it since I'll be able to move them to cool locations during the heat of the summer days.

I'm allergic to the fowl kind of eggs, so I've plenty of the chocolate variety. My Blessing Basket has ham, cheese, bread, and a candle. I only learned about Blessing Baskets a few years ago.

Thanks so much for sharing your lovely tradition. I think I may incorporate this one in my tradition.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Anne, we enjoy dying the eggs and greeting them in nests with chocolate eggs on Easter morning--and enjoying them again as deviled eggs for TV snacks later. *G* But I LOVE the idea of giving flower bulbs (or corms...) for Easter. Flowers for the coming spring, perfect!

[Susan/DC]

Nothing about eggs, but your mention of bluebells made me think of the movie "Bright Star" about Keats and Fanny Brawne. One of the film's posters shows her in a field of bluebells. The movie was visually stunning, and her dresses were quite amazing. It's also a lovely, if heartbreaking, story.

[Jana]

I teach grade 3 (8 year olds) and one of our social studies units is Ukraine. We have an older lady who comes in to teach the children how to make traditional pysanky. As a result I've now made four beautiful Easter eggs, and will be making another next week (after Easter but what can you do? Spring break fell in the middle!). My Easter egg traditions tend to be of the chocolate variety. This year we will be having a little egg hunt for the almost 5 year old along with a nice chocolate bunny. Happy Easter!

[Keziah Hill]

What a great idea Anne! I'm going to an friend's place on Sunday for lunch so I'll take her some bulbs for her garden.

[Marion Lennox]

Anne, what a lovely idea. I've just been given some Lily of the Valley corms to plant in my new garden - do they count as bulbs? They're still sitting in my laundry but am now thinking they need to be planted on Easter Day.
Marion

[Shannon McEwan]

In Australia, the 'easter bilby' (a native marsupial) was introduced as an alternative to the bunny (rabbits are an introduced pest in Australia- no natural predators, and they eat everything - including bilby habitat - in sight). Take up of the Easter bilby isn't widespread - but it's been the bilby that has visited my daughter for her first four chocolate fliied Easters (he gets his supplies from a choclatier who donates to a bilby preservation program). This year however we're at grandma's for Easter - and Grandma has something tee-ed up with the bunny. I suspect my daughter won't mind as long as there's an Easter egg hunt and chocolate!

[Anne Gracie]

Its a lovely easter gift, Keziah, especially since so many people I know are trying to avoid the chocolate binge. Hope your friend loves the bulbs.

[Anne Gracie]

Lily-of-the-valley definitely counts, Marion -- and what a gorgeous Easter gift. I love the scent of lily-of-the-valley. The old lady next to me used to have a huge patch of them in her garden that had spread and multiplied over the years, and when they came into flower she would bring me in a lovely bunch and it would perfume my whole house. Alas, when she died and the house was sold, the new owners built a deck over that patch of garden. I did tell the guy he should dig up the lily-of-the-valley -- or let me do it if he didnt want it -- but he just shrugged and bulldozed the garden anyway. Silly man.

[Anne Gracie]

I havent much taken to the bilby idea either, Shannon. But I remember with great fondness the easter-egg hunts I used to have as a kid. Hope your daughter has a magical time, rabbits or not.

[Anne Gracie]

Judy, Ive never heard of a Blessing Basket. Id love to know more. It sounds lovely. I do love a personal take on a tradition. Hope your herbs do well in their pots. I also have herbs in pots,but plant the more drought-tolerant ones in the garden -- and hope they live up to their reputation.

[Anne Gracie]

The trouble with some of the dyed boiled eggs Ive received as gifts, Mary Jo, is that theyre so pretty I keep them. . . and keep them, and then I find myself wondering how long boiled eggs last for. *g* So then Im wary of eating them. So its a big waste. I will have to get more ruthless and eat them quickly. Devilled eggs are delicious.

[Anne Gracie]

Susan, I havent seen Bright Star, but Id love to see it if only for the bluebells. Though so many of those true-life stories end so sadly. . .

[Anne Gracie]

Jana, the school holidays here (2 weeks) always incorporate Easter -- which means sometimes the terms are longer than others, depending on how Easter is calculated. Its a good thing, I think -- gives families a little time to go away for the Easter break -- which is Friday to Tuesday here. Last night when I walked my dog in the evening, it was only 7pm, but the park and creek area was deserted -- no other dogs, no bikes, a couple of lone joggers -- when normally we run into lots of other dogs and people. But everyone had headed off for a short holiday.

Love the sound of your pysanky eggs. How lucky your kids are that the nice lady came in to show them how to make the eggs. And what fun having the easter egg hunt -- always a treat. These days I love hiding the eggs and watching the kids excitement almost as much as I loved hunting for the eggs when i was a kid.

[Jenny]

I have never worked out how rabbits manage to lay eggs at Easter? Never mind, they are both yummy made out of chocolate. I am visiting neighbours tomorrow and have some eggs to take with me, and so far I haven't indulged in one little bit of chocolate, and feeling very pleased with myself.

I think the bulbs are a wonderful idea. Especially here in Australia, when people are thinking about planting for spring. And the thought lasts so much longer than the chocolate, and tummy ache, and toothache. And the pets aren't likely to eat them like chocolate which is so bad for them, especially dogs.

[Judy]

I read about it in Stephanie Burkhart's novella "A Polish Heart." I'm not Polish, but I love the sound of the tradition so did some reading up and created my own tradition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Święconka

One of the sites suggested a candle, a plate, a new cloth for the basket, and a bow on the basket.

[kanchb]

I am in Barcelona for Easter, and went to the cathedral yesterday, and accidentally wandered into Good Friday prayers/mass. I am not catholic, but stayed and listened to the prayers and the choir and it was lovely! Happy Easter!

[Anne Gracie]

Jenny, I also have managed to get through Easter so far without eating one bit of chocolate. But I have bought some bulbs. All the very best for the rest of Easter.

[Anne Gracie]

Thats a lovely idea, Judy and I love that youve picked it up and are spreading it here. That wiki article reminded me that when we were in Greece, many years ago, the priest came around to every house at Easter and blessed the house and the people in it. I have a great photo somewhere of him standing in the snow outside our house.

[Anne Gracie]

Traditional church music and rituals are very beautiful, I agree, kanchb, especially in grand old churches and cathedrals. A friend once wandered into Westminster cathedral, just as Evensong was about to start. Tourists werent allowed at that hour, but she said she wanted to attend evensong, and she did and it was beautiful. Something never to be forgotten.