Hop to it! Easter egg markets spring up all over Germany
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An egg is an egg, you say, and that is true. But they do come in all sizes. There are pigeon eggs, chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs and even ostrich eggs.
The amazing thing is what you can do with an egg. Boil, fry, scramble and poach are probably the first things that comes to mind.
But if you visit one of the Easter egg markets that spring up all over Germany this time of year, you’ll be astounded at what else people can do with an egg.
You can find eggs that are painted, dyed, quilted and stitched. Some are etched or beaded. Most are hollow. Others are not made of shell but rather of stone, wood, ceramic or porcelain.
Some are cheap, perhaps five euros; others cost as much as 1,000 euros. Quite a bit for an egg, you say. Well, a lot of effort goes into egg decorating.
One egg might have thousands of tiny beads glued on it in intricate designs. Or an artist might stitch designs on a hollowed-out egg, pulling the string through holes meticulously bored with a tiny drill.
Another will use a brush that is basically just a piece of wire to draw a picture with wax on the egg. When dyed, the color won’t penetrate the wax. When the dye is dry, the wax is peeled off, leaving the picture a different color than the rest of the egg. With care, this can be repeated layer after layer, resulting in a beautiful, multi-colored egg. It will cost you a couple of hundred euros, though.
You might find eggs with Eastern Orthodox icons painted on them or perhaps with the Lord’s Prayer written on it.
Some eggs are not as labor intensive. Some just have Easter bunnies painted on them. Others are beautifully polished eggs of varying sizes made of stone or wood and painted much like real eggs but not as delicately.
What do you do with the eggs? As with many crafts, there are serious collectors out there. But Easter egg markets are great places just to pick up Easter decorations for your home or a present for family and friends.
The eggs also make unique souvenirs of your stay in Europe. Just make sure they are well packed when you PCS.
Happy shopping and happy Easter!
abramsm@estripes.osd.mil
