See that everyone? It's the Easter Bunny's tail disappearing around the corner for another year. It's been such an lovely holiday, how did you guys spend it? Did you get many Easter eggs? And most importantly, did you eat them all in one day?!

I wish I could boast about all the yummy Easter eggs I munched my way through but unfortuantely, my family likes to celebrate Easter a little differently. In a way where there's no chocolate involved! Sound strange? It's not really... it's just the tradition in Moldova, where I was born.

Back in Moldova there are no delicious small and big and chocolate and white chocolate and dark chocolate eggs... instead we like to indulge in the hard boiled variety. But don't despair! They're painted red. Which makes them MUCH better.

The tradition of having hard boiled eggs goes way back in time. The story goes that Mary was visiting the tomb of Jesus with a basket of cooked eggs to share with the other women. The eggs miraculously turned red when she saw the risen Christ and since, the traditition of placing red eggs at the dinner table has been in place.

But they're not there just for decoration, we like to play a little game with them that decides who from the people around the table, will be the strongest and most powerful for the next year. This involves taking an egg each and butting egg heads together. The one that is left uncracked, wins! Some people like to mess with the system though and they have a painted wooden egg that they butt egg heads with which results in constant winnings. Unfair? Sure! Funny? Always!

Then there's the tradition of washing your face with water from a cup in which there is a blessed egg and some coins. This is meant to bring beauty, health and prosperity in the coming year. The egg is blessed as it is tradition to bring some food to midnight mass on the Saturday night so that the priest can bless your food.

There are so many little customs we partake in but I'll save the rest for next year. You have the important information! But if you ever meet a Moldovan person at Easter, be sure to remember to greet them in the following manner:

Christos a inviat! (Christ has risen!)

Adevarat a inviat! (Indeed, he has risen!)

As a little treat for reading this far down, here's a little photo of me and my eggy creations =] What do you think?

Diana x