By By MaryClaire Foster
Easter is a time of celebration, which goes hand in hand with entertaining.
Whether it is a small gathering or a large party, there are many easy ways to prepare for all aspects of the holiday.
Joyce Petty, owner of Atmore florist, said adding bright colors to your decor gets you ready for both Easter and spring. Petty said there are also several easy ways to create centerpieces specifically for your Easter meal.
Petty said she got the plastic eggs for her centerpieces from craft-store Hobby Lobby and took them off of a string intended for a tree.
Trees with hanging eggs have become a popular accessory item for Easter decor. Petty recommended getting a branch tree and spray-painting it white, then hanging the eggs from it with fishing wire.
Another idea that is a little trendier is using pastel colored feather boas. The boas can be used on tables or as the main part of a wreath with decorated eggs.
You can also decorate your own eggs used in your decor.
PAAS Easter Eggs Dyes’ Web site, www.paaseastereggs.com give directions and tips on the best way to begin decorating.
The first step in dyeing eggs is to prepare them either by boiling or emptying them. PAAS suggests using hard-boiled eggs for handling by young children, if you plan to hide them and if you want to eat them when you are done.
To best boil an egg, according to PAAS, place eggs in a single layer saucepan with an inch of water covering them. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Remove the pan if necessary from the heat source to prevent further boiling. Then let the eggs stand for 18 minutes for extra large eggs, 15 minutes for large eggs and 12 minutes for medium. Finish by cooling the eggs by submerging them in ice water or simply continually running it over them.
Adding vinegar to the water will prevent the whites from running out of cracked eggs and a teaspoon of salt will help prevent cracking and make them easier to peel.
To empty an egg, poke a hole about 1/4 inch across in the bottom of a raw egg and a smaller hole in the top of the egg. Break the yolk of the egg with a needle to more easily remove it. Blow into the smaller hole to remove the egg. Finish by rinsing out the shells and drying them.
Egg decorations run the gamut of simple to fancy and can be a fun, creative activity for children of all ages.
To add a some pizazz to your eggs, use glitter, rhinestones or a wax crayon to create designs.
Remember to only eat the eggs if the dyes are food safe.
Hard cooked eggs in the shell can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Easter, like many Christian holidays, owes many of its traditions to pagan origins.
According to About.com, Easter egg decorating originated when they were given as gifts to celebrate the spring equinox. In Christian religion, the egg is seen as representative of the beginning of life and is therefore associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.