The Place

Actions

You can dye eggs without a store-bought kit. Here’s how

Posted at 5:20 PM, Apr 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-16 19:20:11-04

What are you doing Easter weekend? How about celebrating at one of Utah's richest cultural locations, Fremont Indian State Park and Museum! To showcase some of the fun the whole family can have at the state park, Amy Ramsland with Utah State Parks stopped by to tell us more about it, and also show us a more traditional way of dying eggs this Easter, that doesn't require a store-bought kit!

1. Spring Festivities at Utah State Parks

Fremont Indian State Park and Museum is hosting a Spring celebration on April 20, 2019 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. You'll enjoy cultural activities including:

a. An Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. and pioneer-era egg-dying
b. Museum scavenger hunt (Spring-related artifacts in and out of the museum, rock art changes, etc.)
c. Bear dance - Ute, Paiute, different native musical instruments.
d. Other activities - Craft, atlatl, storytime for preschoolers

Fremont Indian State Park is located in Sevier, UT.  Activities include:

• Hiking

• OHV on Paiute ATV

• Museum, historic sites, rock art panels

• Campgrounds: New this year are two cabins and a reconstructed pithouse (anticipated opening in June)

Find out more by visiting stateparks.utah.gov.

2. Let's try some natural egg-dying

History: Dying Eggs was not originally a tradition associated with Christianity but new religious meaning was given to the practice to incorporate it into Easter celebrations. The practice is very old, so no one is really sure who started it and how it was started! In 2010 archaeologists found a cache of decorated ostrich eggs in South Africa that they dated to around 55,000 years before present.

Pioneers to Utah brought celebrations and traditions with them that reflected the countries they emigrated from. Since many were of British and Scandinavian descent, some may have followed the tradition of making a 'pace egg' (from Pascha, Easter). They used beets, spinach, leaves wrapped in onion skins then boiled.

Process:

• Use Beets for Pink, turmeric yellow, onion for orange, red cabbage for blue. Parsley, carrot greens, celery greens adds floral patterns.

• Pick out the vegetable you want to use for your dye. Decide if you will be adding floral patter. • If adding florals, tie on tightly with twine or string.

• Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil.

• Add coloring agent.

• Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or longer for the deepest color.

• Strain liquid into a large jar, and allow to cool to room temperature, 23 hours.

• Stir in 2 tablespoons white vinegar and add 3 hard-boiled eggs

• The longer you let it set in liquid, even overnight, the darker the color of the eggs.