On Thursday, we dye the eggs red that will be blessed on the night of Holy Pascha. Orthodox pilgrims from Greece and Germany work together with Copts and Bedouin employed by the monastery in a collaboration that is special to Sinai.
Hard boiled eggs are brought from the monastery kitchen.
They are immersed in red dye for ten minutes.
The eggs are lifted out of the dye.
The excess dye is blotted off.
They are rubbed with olive oil to give them a sheen.
The polished red eggs are placed on cardboard trays.
The finished trays of eggs will be stored until Pascha.
What is the dye used? The eggs’ appearance reminds me of the turnips with beets my grandmother made.
Pilgrims bring a special dye from Greece. Traditionally, eggs were dyed red using onion skins or other natural sources.