Easter or the Feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ is the greatest holiday in the Christian world. The day of the celebration of Easter was established in 325 by the First Ecumenical Council. Easter is a joyous spring holiday symbolizing faith in resurrection and eternal rebirth of life. Plants are one of the most striking incarnations of the fragility and resilience of life. That is why, in addition to traditional Easter treats, plants - tree branches, fresh flowers and herbs - became the festive symbols of this day.
The decoration of the house and the festive table for Easter has always been given special importance, in Russia both in the noble houses and in the houses of ordinary people for this holiday they prepared unusually carefully. These traditions have not been lost today. On Easter, the table is covered with the most beautiful tablecloth, in the center of it is a dish with Easter cake and painted eggs. The main decoration of the Easter table is Easter wreaths, which are based on colored eggs and fresh flowers. On the Easter table, branches with swollen buds, which symbolize the nascent life, will also be appropriate.
Easter compositions, by tradition, must comply with certain canons. These should be small, graceful compositions using only live, medium-sized flowers and flowering branches of trees and shrubs. It is not customary to use dry and artificial flowers in an Easter wreath. The most common form of Easter composition is a basket woven of willow rods or an earthen (ceramic) container, in which painted eggs, fresh flowers or flowering branches are picturesquely laid so that the composition resembles a nest in its shape - an Easter symbol of the rebirth of life. Many Easter bouquets also have the shape of a bird's nest.
Easter decorations must necessarily take into account the symbolism of the holiday, because all colors in Orthodoxy have their own strictly defined meaning. The Resurrection of Christ symbolizes the red color - the color of life itself, conquering death, it is not for nothing that Easter is always called red in Russia. The colors of spirituality and purity are white, yellow, gold; green is the color of hope, blue and blue are the colors of the sky, faith. Therefore, it is from white flowers that garlands are made around the shroud during Holy Week. On Easter, bouquets of red or white fresh flowers - roses, carnations and tulips, lilies will be appropriate. Although roses are used as decoration for Easter primarily in the decoration of temples.
Easter compositions and bouquets are characterized by bright colors. They usually combine red, white and green colors, to which gold and silver tones are generously added. The flowers used should be bright, but not variegated.
On Easter, by tradition, preference is given to spring flowers: daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, lilies of the valley, violets, snowdrops, dandelions, coltsfoot. Easter tables, Easter cakes, wreaths and icons are usually decorated with hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, roses and carnations. It is not customary to use exotic flowers for Easter. Flowers in compositions and bouquets are complemented by openwork greenery: asparagus, gypsophila, ferns, palm branches, etc.
The traditional Easter decoration of icons is a garland woven from spruce branches with fresh flowers inserted into it in cones filled with water, such garlands are usually collected at a special floristic oasis. Easter wreaths are collected from any spring flowers, green branches, painted eggs, animal figurines, red ribbons. Easter cake is usually placed in the center of a wreath of twigs of evergreen plants: thuja, mahonia, juniper, etc.
Painted eggs are not only the main dish of this holiday, but also part of the Easter table decoration. Painted eggs are often included in Easter compositions made from spring flowers. Easter bouquets usually use a hollow shell of colored eggs attached to wire pins.
When creating floral decorations for the Easter table, it is better to use no more than two basic tones, complementing them with bright shades. A composition of yellow flowers can be complemented with white or pale lemon flowers. And red and orange flowers will go well with white or pink flowers. Any floral arrangement will look especially good when framed by greenery.
On the Easter table, not only cut flowers can be used as decoration, but also flowering garden plants in pots, such as primroses, dwarf dahlias, miniature roses; or indoor plants with emerging buds or blossoming flowers, or with leaves that are beautiful in shape and unusual in color.
