Why do we dye eggs red on Holy Thursday – What does it symbolize?

Red or decorated eggs can be found before the time of Christ, in ancient Rome, China, Galilee, Persia, and Egypt, where they were shared during spring festivals, as they – along with rabbits – were ancient symbols of fertility, worthy of worship and respect.

In the Christian faith, eggs are always dyed on Holy Thursday, which is why many call it “Red Thursday” or “Red-Thursday” (Κόκκινη Πέμπτη). Holy Thursday is the day of the Last Supper, where Christ offered bread and wine as symbols of His body and blood, ready to be sacrificed to free the world from the bonds of sin. The red dye of the eggs symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ that flowed when the Roman soldier pierced His side. At the same time, the red color symbolizes – in Orthodox tradition – joy, fertility, and the beginning of a new cycle of life.

In many parts of Greece, the first of the dyed eggs is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is kept in the iconostasis for the entire year. It is believed to have therapeutic and protective properties. According to one version, the Virgin Mary took a basket of eggs and offered them to the guards of her Son, pleading with them not to torture Him. When her tears fell upon the eggs, they turned red.

Moreover, a popular tradition mentions that the eggs owe their color to the following story: “…When it was said that Christ had risen, no one believed it. A woman who was holding a basket of eggs, to convince them, shouted: – Can these eggs turn red from white? And indeed, they did!”.