Color has little to do with how fast eggs will dye. The speed of dyeing depends on the quality, strength, acidity and chemical composition of the dye. More concentrated dyes will dye faster. More chemically compatible dyes (acid rather than alkaline) will dye faster. In the past, eggs were colored with dyes made from natural substances: berries, onion skins, grasses, bark. These dyes worked very slowly, sometimes taking an hour or longer to dye an egg. Today, modern chemical dyes are used instead. Food-grade dyes are used for making eggs that will be consumed. You can increase the strength of these dyes by adding a little bit more vinegar, by adding another dye tablet (e.g. Paas), or by adding several drops of liquid food coloring. The strongest egg dye colors can be obtained using aniline dyes, which are NOT food-grade. Eggs dyed with aniline dyes SHOULD NOT be eaten. These dyes act the most quickly; most will act within minutes, and some will give the desired color within seconds. You must pay close attention and keep an eye on your eggs when using these dyes. The Ukrainian art form of decorating eggs with wax and dye to create "pysanky" traditionally used natural dyes, but today most practitioners of the art use aniline dyes. Pysanky are not meant to be eaten; they serve talismanic and decorative purposes. You can find out more about pysanky by browsing the category "Pysanky Egg Art" here on Wiki Answers, which is found under Hobbies and Collectibles/Arts and Crafts.

Dyeing with natural dyes is not much different that dyeing with chemical dyes--you put the egg into the dye solution, and then leave it in until the egg has changed color sufficiently.

Chemical dyes tend to work much more quickly, and are thus preferred by most egg artists. Natural dyes often take hours to work, which chemical dyes will set up in a minute or two.

Ancient people worshipped the sun, which warmed the earth and was the source of all life. In winter, earth was dormant and appeared to be without life. Likewise a whole egg appears to be lifeless. In spring the earth renewed herself, and new life sprang from the egg. Thus the egg is a perfect symbol of the sudden burst of life from dormancy.

Ancient Ukrainians believed that eggs had special powers. Eggs were decorated with symbols that had magical and protective powers; these powers were thus transfered to the egg, which was used for talismanic purposes.

When Christianity came to Ukraine (Kyivan Rus), the egg was incorporated into Easter celebrations. Easter is the culmination of the Christian year, and celebrates the victory of life over death. The pysanka, which had been created in ancient times during spring festivities celebrating the rebirth of nature, was an ideal symbol for then new Christian Easter holiday.

Pysanky created for Easter had many purposes. The original purposes were protective and magical. Pysanky were left in a bowl in the house to protect it from evil. They were placed in the stables and beehives to not simply protect the beasts of the household, but to insure their future fertility. Pysanky were hung in fruit trees to assure a plentiful harvest, and farmers buried eggs in their fields to assure a bountiful harvest.

Pysanky were also given as gifts to friends and family: children received light, colorful pysanky with floral designs, while teenagers received eggs with lots of white, indicating that their future was a blank page. Married couples received 40 triangle eggs, which represent power in all facets of life, while older people received black eggs with ladders and gates, representing the ascent to heaven.

Making pysanky was not a social event, but an important religious ritual. The women of the family would gather on the given day, say a few prayers, and work together to produce a family's pysanky. Men rarely participated (it was unheard of), and this ritual was performed in near silence at the end of a day sanctified by refraining from gossip, argument, or sin. The pysanka maker prayed that the recipient of her eggs would be endowed with joy, good fortune, happiness, and protection from harm.

In the mid-19th century traditions began to change as the world grew more modern. Pysanky were less and less considered magical objects, and more and more considered mere objects of art. They began to be sold, and used mainly as pretty decorations. The knowledge of the meaning of their symbols began to be forgotten. And rather than being made and given away during the great spring holiday (velykden), they began to be given away year round.

It depends upon what method was used to decorate the eggs, and where they were made.

Eggs can be decorated with dyes, paints, carving, scratching and many other methods. Different ethnic groups give these eggs different names.

In Ukraine eggs decorated with dyes, and using a wax resist method, are called pysanky. Eggs decorated by painting them with oil, watercolor or acrylic paints are called malyovanky.

Ukrainians make intricately decorated eggs for Easter. When people refer to "Ukrainian" Easter eggs, they are usually referring to pysanky, which are made using a batik (wax resist) method. Several types of decorated eggs are seen in Ukrainian tradition, and these vary throughout the regions of Ukraine. Krashankyare boiled eggs dyed a single color (with vegetable dyes), and are blessed and eaten at Easter.
Pysanky (from писати pysaty, "to write") are raw eggs created with the wax-resist method (batik). The designs are "written" in hot wax with a stylus or a pin-head. Wooden eggs and beaded eggs are often referred to as "pysanky" because they mimic the decorative style of pysanky in a different medium.
Krapanky (from крапка krapka, "a dot") are raw eggs decorated using the wax-resist method, but with only dots as ornamentation (no symbols or other drawings). They are traditionally created by dripping molten wax from a beeswax candle onto an egg.
Dryapanky (from дряпати dryapaty, "to scratch") are created by scratching the surface of a dyed egg to reveal the white shell below.
Malyovanky (from малювати malyuvaty, "to paint") are created by painting a design with a brush using oil or water color paints. It is sometimes used to refer to coloring (e.g. with a marker) on an egg.
Lystovanky (from листя lystya, "leaves") are created by dyeing an egg to which small leaves have been attached.

All but the krashanky are usually meant to be decorative (as opposed to edible), and the egg yolk and white are either allowed to dry up over time, or removed by blowing them out through a small hole in the egg.

As with symbols, colors have true symbolism only in traditional Ukrainian folk pysanky, those designs created over the centuries and used for talismanic purposes. Modern pysanky, their colors and symbols, have only the meanings that we personally assign to them. Symbols and colors have to be considered within the whole of the design of the egg, not as individual components. Different localities may have assigned them different meanings--this should be taken into consideration as well. That being said, some generally accepted meanings for the colors used on pysanky are given below. ColorsYellow: Light, wisdom, spirituality, recognition and reward. Green: Spring, hope, growth, victory of life over death, bountifulness. Orange: Endurance, strength, attraction, everlasting sun. Red: Divine love and passion of Christ, spiritual awakening, happiness in life. Blue: Good health, trust. Pink: Success. Black: Death, remembrance, absolute constancy, fear of ignorance. White: Purity Brown: The earth Purple: Patience and trust

The dyes generally used for making pysanky are aniline dyes. These are, chemically speaking, acid dyes, meaning that they work best in a mildly acidic environment. The dye binds to the protein portion of the eggshell. To get maximal binding, you need to do two things: 1) acidify the dye solution and 2) allow the dye molecules enough time to bind. We acidify the solution by putting vinegar in it. Follow directions, though--too much of a good thing is not always, as Mae West noted, wonderful. Too acid a solution, and the calcium carbonate portion of the eggshell will dissolve. This will weaken the shell and may even destroy its bond to the outer protein cuticle. As for time--that takes patience. Leave your egg in the dye until you get the color you want. I would not, though leave it in more than an hour or so--at that point the dye can begin to seep under the wax. Keep in mind that some eggs just don't have very good shells, and nothing you do will make them take dye well. Sadly, this is something you won't discover until after you've already put a lot of work into an egg.

Ancient people worshipped the sun, which warmed the earth and was the source of all life. In winter, earth was dormant and appeared to be without life. Likewise a whole egg appears to be lifeless. In spring the earth renewed herself, and new life sprang from the egg. Thus the egg is a perfect symbol of the sudden burst of life from dormancy. Ancient Ukrainians believed that eggs had special powers. Eggs were decorated with symbols that had magical and protective powers; these powers were thus transfered to the egg, which was used for talismanic purposes. When Christianity came to Ukraine (Kyivan Rus), the egg was incorporated into Easter celebrations. Easter is the culmination of the Christian year, and celebrates the victory of life over death. The pysanka, which had been created in ancient times during spring festivities celebrating the rebirth of nature, was an ideal symbol for then new Christian Easter holiday. Pysanky created for Easter had many purposes. The original purposes were protective and magical. Pysanky were left in a bowl in the house to protect it from evil. They were placed in the stables and beehives to not simply protect the beasts of the household, but to insure their future fertility. Pysanky were hung in fruit trees to assure a plentiful harvest, and farmers buried eggs in their fields to assure a bountiful harvest. Pysanky were also given as gifts to friends and family: children received light, colorful pysanky with floral designs, while teenagers received eggs with lots of white, indicating that their future was a blank page. Married couples received 40 triangle eggs, which represent power in all facets of life, while older people received black eggs with ladders and gates, representing the ascent to heaven. Making pysanky was not a social event, but an important religious ritual. The women of the family would gather on the given day, say a few prayers, and work together to produce a family's pysanky. Men rarely participated (it was unheard of), and this ritual was performed in near silence at the end of a day sanctified by refraining from gossip, argument, or sin. The pysanka maker prayed that the recipient of her eggs would be endowed with joy, good fortune, happiness, and protection from harm. In the mid-19th century traditions began to change as the world grew more modern. Pysanky were less and less considered magical objects, and more and more considered mere objects of art. They began to be sold, and used mainly as pretty decorations. The knowledge of the meaning of their symbols began to be forgotten. And rather than being made and given away during the great spring holiday (velykden), they began to be given away year round.

Almost all bird eggs are suitable for pysanky. Non-white eggs, such as Rhea or Emu, require special techniques, but can still be used for pysanky. Chicken, Duck and Goose eggs are most commmonly used. They require no special preparation, only simple cleaning to remove dirt. Ostrich eggs have a heavy glossy outer coat with amny irregularities. They are usually sanded to a smooth finish before using. Rhea and Emu shells come in shades of dark green to light green. The light green shades can be dyed without removing the outer shell. To use the dark green shells one would have to remove the top layer by etching or sanding. Finch eggshells can be used, but they are fragile to the touch. Pigeon eggs tend to be oily and do not dye well. Parakeet shells are the best if you want to make tiny pysanky.

Eggs can be considered "fresh" for up to four weeks with proper refrigeration.

They will often last longer but should be "tested" after the four week period.

Testing a suspect egg is easy, fill a bowl with water and place the egg in the bowl, if the egg floats it is stale. If it sinks to the bottom it is still "fresh".

This happens because the air pocked at the wide end of the egg expands as it gets older, the fresher the egg the smaller the air pocket.

Farm fresh eggs direct from a local farm are often laid within a day or two of your purchase and have a distinctly better flavor.

When buying from a supermarket the "use by" or "best before" date stamped on the carton corresponds to the packing date.

It is impossible to remove all traces of wax from an egg, but you can try to remove some of the wax. Once wax has attached itself to the surface of a pysanka, it has penetrated the pores of the shell and is there to stay. Scraping it off will make the visible wax disappear, but bits will remain and may leave unsightly marks. However, if you use a solvent, you might be able to get off most of the wax. Start by using a very sharp tool, such as an exacto knife, to scrape off excess wax. Be careful not to scratch the shell. Then use a small craft applicator (they look like tiny Q-tips) to apply a solvent to the area where you wish to remove wax. Be very careful that the solvent does not drip onto areas where you want wax to remain! If this happens, you may end up inadvertantly smearing the entire design. By using a tiny craft applicator and a very tiny amount of solvent, you can sometimes dab it only onto the "mistake" to dissolve unwanted wax. It is very difficult to do this well, and often no matter how careful or thorough you are, the shell will not accept the dye as readily under areas where wax was removed. While it is sometimes possible to remove bad lines or spots using Goof-Off, Naptha, or some other organic solvent, it may not work. The solvents will dissolve the wax and, if you're lucky, you can get it all off. If you do not get ALL the wax off, a thin film of wax spreads and will cause blotching. Successfully removing wax takes a lot of patience and experience, and doesn't always work. Your best bet is to either work around a mistake (remember, there are two sides to an egg and you can only display one at a time) or, if the mistake is really bad, start over.

Yes. Until the second half of the 20th century, eggs were dyed primarily with natural botanical (and insect) dyes.

It is not a simple process, unless making boiled Easter eggs meant for eating. In that case, you can boil up your plant material, and then just add in the eggs and boil some more. This works particularly well with onion skins, which give a deep brownish red.

If making pysanky or other wax-resist style eggs, you will need cooled dye to avoid melting or smearing the wax design.

In general, if using natural dyes, you need about 1 cup of plant material (leaves, grasses, bark, flowers, etc.) to 3 cups of water. Boil until the water turns a fairly deep color; then cool and strain. Add vinegar to the dye solution, and allow the eggs to soak until they have reached the desired color. This may take up to 24 hours, depending on the dyestuff.

Some dyes may take better, or produce richer colors if mordants are used. Mordants are chemical which help the dye molecules physically bond to eggshells. A common mordant used in pysankarstvo is alum, and it is added directly to the dye solution.

Duck eggs are harder and smoother than chicken eggs, and they have an outer layer (the cuticle) that protects the egg contents from the elements. This layer is easily scratched, which would result in uneven dyeing.

If you are lucky enough to be able to collect fresh, clean, unscratched duck eggs then you may be able to simply wash them with gentle soap and warm water, and get excellent results when you dye them. More dirty eggs, or those with stubborn spots, can be cleaned by rubbing with a paste made from baking soda and water.

If the outer layer has been scratched, you can remove the entire outer later with a strong solution such as vinegar, which in effect dissolves the outer layer completely. To do this, soak the whole fresh egg in vinegar for about a minute, then brush it off GENTLY with an old soft toothbrush. Repeat until you can see that the outer layer has been removed. If you are not sure, you can dip the egg in Surma Brown or another dark dye for a second, and remaining parts of the cuticle will show up as dark brown spots.

The problem with removing the entire outer layer is that the next layer does not accept the dye readily, and colors will inevitably look muted or washed out. For this reason, some pysanka artists shy away from duck eggs, unless they can get their hands on fresh unscratched ones, or can buy them from reliable suppliers.

Pysanky are not made with paints, they are made with dyes.

In earlier times, pysanky were dyed with natural (and usually botanical) dyes mades from flowers, onion skins, grasses, bark, etc.

Today most pysanka makers use chemical dyes of the same sort used to dye silk and wool known as acid dyes (often referred to as aniline dyes). They are quite different than the dyes (food coloring) used to dye the traditional monochromatic Easter eggs (Paas, etc.). These dyes can be purchased from craft stores (some) and pysanka supply sites. You can also purchase powdered dyes meant for wool or silk, and mix them up by adding about half a teaspoon to a cup and a half of boiling water along with a tablespoon of vinegar.

See the link below for more information on dyes and other pysanka supplies.

We generally refer to the freezing point as the melting point. Beeswax has a high melting point range, of 62 to 64 °C (144 to 147 °F). If beeswax is heated above 85 °C (185 °F) discoloration occurs, a property which is taken advantage of in using it for making pysanky and other batik-style decorated eggs. Note: The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes state from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium. When considered as the temperature of the reverse change from liquid to solid, it is referred to as the freezing point.

If you have a goose egg or smaller, cap the hole (or holes) with beeswax. To do this, make a tiny ball of wax, flatten it into a disc, and place it over the hole. Then use your kistka to "seal" the edges where the disc of wax meets the shell. You can either roll the egg around in the dye, or, if you need more color saturation, hold the egg down in the dye using a spoon or a capped jar of water as a weight. Be sure to rotate the egg gently every 5 minutes or so to avoid base spots where the dye will not adhere to the shell where it was touching the surface of the dye jar. After you remove the egg from the dye, immediately remove the cap. Dry the egg with paper towels, and if it seems that dye got inside the egg, twist a piece of Kleenex into a point and insert it into the hole in the egg. Invert it and let it dry out overnight before re-dyeing. For more information about pysanky, or Ukrainian egg decorating, see the "Pysanky Egg Art" category under Hobbies and Collectibles/Arts and Crafts.

In Ukrainian, the intricate, decorative sort of Easter eggs, not the ones made for eating, are called "pysanky" (singular "pysanka"). The art of making them is called "pysankarstvo" in Ukrainian, or simply "pysanka making" in English. The actual process (using wax and dyes) is commonly referred to as "batik."