Romanian Traditions - RED EGGS

In July, Veritas hosted a Artesan Festival in Piata Cetatii. About 20 traditional craftsmen brought their crafts and wares to display and demonstrate. One tradition in Romania are painted eggs for Easter. Traditionally eggs are painted red because in the Bible, while Jesus was on the cross, eggs were laid at his feet and they turned red.

Lucian is an artesan from Brasov. He teaches this tradition to children in Brasov. Here Lucian works on decorating an egg. First, the egg yolks are blown out and the eggs are kept hallow. Then he uses hot wax with a pen-like tool that he dips in the wax to lay-out the design. After the wax is complete, the egg is placed in different colors going from lightest to darkest (yellow, organge, red, blue or yellow, green, blue). The wax is melted off and egg is coated with a clear varnish.

As I talked to Lucian, I discovered that he lived just down the street from me in Rasnov where I lived for 10-weeks during my Peace Corps language and culture training. Small world!