Easter

Like other holidays, Easter is celebrated differently in Christian countries. While in German-speaking countries Easter nests are hidden by the Easter Bunny, other countries celebrate the feast of Christ's resurrection quite differently. For most, however, Easter today is a celebration with a few days off from work, on which one likes to Travels and escape from everyday life. Easter is also something special at Swiss Holiday Park. For the children TOM's Happy Club has come up with many Easter activities for the children. But also the adults will have a lot of fun. Read on, there is exciting information about the history of Easter or techniques for dyeing Easter eggs.

In the Christian countries the celebrations at Easter have developed quite differently. In German-speaking countries as well as in Eastern Europe, the painting of Easter eggs is a tradition. There are many different techniques for painting eggs. Often, works of art are created that are so beautiful that it would be too bad to break them during the "Eitertütschen". So the eggs are blown out so that only the shells remain, which are then artistically painted and used for Easter decorations. The eggs symbolize new life. There are many customs surrounding Easter eggs, such as hiding Easter eggs, "Eiertütschen", egg-slicing or Easter egg-throwing. Or, as in England, the eggs are rolled down the street until they are completely broken. In New York City, the Easter Parade takes place on 5th Avenue. People drive through the streets with colorfully decorated floats and dress up. The most original custom we found during our research takes place in the Philippines. There, parents take their little children by the head and lift them up when the Easter bell rings. They believe that this makes the children grow taller. Either way, for everyone, Easter is a joyous celebration where people get together with family and friends, enjoy a festive Easter dinner, or take advantage of the days off for a short vacation.

The Easter specialities are as varied as the Easter traditions. These range from Easter lamb to various pastry specialties. In Greece, tsoureki, a yeast cake with a red, painted egg in the middle, is the custom; in England, hot cross buns are a tradition; in Finland, Männi (a malt cake); and in Slovenia and Croatia, it's pinca, a sweet yeast pastry. In Switzerland, the Easter cake is known.

Of course, you can buy dyed Easter eggs. At markets and in specialist shops you can find artistic eggs for decoration purposes. But it is much nicer if you dye and decorate the Easter eggs yourself. You can find thousands of ideas on the Internet, at markets, in shops or at Easter egg exhibitions. Painting and decorating Easter eggs is very creative work and fun. Children love to let their imagination run wild and paint eggs. In order for them to get empty eggs that are still whole, they need to be blown out. You poke a hole in the top and bottom and then blow out the egg. The empty eggs can then be dyed and used for pretty decorations. Especially successful creations will last for years. With all techniques, if you wipe the eggs with vinegar before dyeing, they will absorb the colours better. In addition, the boiled eggs should not be quenched, but cooled. That way they will last longer. And so that they shine beautifully, the eggs are rubbed with margarine or a little butter at the end.

Tip: The daily fresh eggs from Erlebnishof Fronalp are also available in the shop of the Swiss Holiday Park.

1. with tissue paper With tissue paper colored Easter eggs look particularly beautiful. Boiled white eggs are brushed with water while they are still warm and then covered with colourful pieces of torn tissue paper. The moisture brings the colour to the eggs. The dyed eggs are dried well on kitchen paper. Then the paper is removed.

2. sponge technique With the sponge technique one uses blown out or hard-boiled eggs. Paint the eggs with craft colours and let them dry. Then you fill the paint into a container. Dab the egg all over with a sponge that has been dipped into the container with the paint in a lighter shade.

3. natural colours for harmonious shades There are many things in nature that can be used to dye eggs. You can dye beautiful eggs without any chemicals. Nettles give the eggs a yellow-green tone. They are boiled in a litre of water for one hour. After that you can boil the eggs in the broth. Do not poke holes in the eggs while doing this, or they will turn green on the inside as well. In the same process you can also use beetroot (purple-red), mallow (for a subtle red), carrot (orange), marigold (yellow), coffee, red onion skins, oak bark (brown), spinach, parsley, ivy (green), juice of elderberries, blueberries, blue cabbage (blue).

4. making things with eggs Eggs can be used to make all kinds of fun figures with different materials. You can dye them first and then glue them on with glitter stones, felt, string, paper or materials you have collected yourself from nature. With ears the eggs become bunnies, with a little hat a dwarf, with a crown a king, with a moustache a grandpa, with hair a mummy, with colourful little feathers birds of paradise etc. A leisure activity that is also great fun for children and sets no limits to their imagination.

The most precious and famous Easter eggs are the so-called Fabergé eggs. These pieces of jewellery were made between 1885 and 1947 in Saint Petersburg by the goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé, first for the Tsar of that time and later for other rich personalities. These eggs are beautiful, precious works of art. Since the 17th century, people in Russia have given each other decorated eggs and three kisses on Easter. Richer families gave such eggs made of more precious materials instead of ordinary ones. In 1885 Tsar Alexander III ordered an egg from the court blacksmith Fabergé to give to his wife Maria Fyodorovna. The joy of the gift was so great that he gave her such an egg every year until his death in 1894. Tsar Nicholas II took over this tradition from his father and had another 40 eggs produced, which he gave to his mother and his own wife at Easter. The eggs became more and more luxurious and were produced at ever greater expense. Eggs were made of ivory and decorated with pearls, gold and diamonds. The most expensive at that time was the Winter Egg produced in 1913. From the outside, this magnificent masterpiece resembles an icy winter landscape. Inside is a tiny flower basket woven from platinum and set with diamonds. The flowers in the basket are made of quartz, the stems and anthers of gold, and the leaves of nephrite. The marvel sold for $9.6 million in 2002. An egg not made for the Russian tsars fetched an even higher price. The so-called Rothschild egg fetched a fabulous 12.5 million euros at auction.