DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Kindergarten, first and second graders at Hoala School proudly show Easter eggs they decorated. In the first row are Angel Bayot, left, Parker Hill, Aaron Norton, Zoie Bactista, Victoria Peters, Manya Tam and Brianne Kiaaina; in the second row are Kai Poarch, left, Matthew Norton and Noah Ballaibe.

Simply egg sighting

The tradition of dyeing Easter
eggs fuels colorful memories

Dyeing Easter eggs with my family is one my most cherished childhood memories. My four siblings and I would compete to see who could come up with the most lavish designs. My mom would empty the eggs, so they could be left out through the entire Easter season, displayed in a grass-filled basket as a table centerpiece.

I can't imagine emptying out the gooey contents of dozens of eggs today, but my husband, son and I do our best to keep up the tradition, making us no different from generations of other families, bound by the holiday tradition and, no doubt, a PAAS Easter egg dye kit.

This year, the PAAS Dye Co. happens to be celebrating its 125th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, an anniversary tin is being marketed for Sunday's holiday, and in New York an Easter Eggstravaganza in Central Park will feature a salute to PAAS, with the unveiling of a 125th Anniversary Egg designed by artist Caldecott Medal-winning book illustrator Eric Rohmann.

But the PAAS story dates back to the 1880s, when New Jersey druggist William Townley started selling packets of Easter egg dye, for 5 cents, to moms in his Pennsylvania Dutch neighborhood. He learned that the color tablets could be mixed with water and white vinegar to create a vibrant, color-fixed dye. His idea caught on, and he named his creation Townley's Easter Egg Dye.

In honor of his early customers, he changed the name of his company to PAAS Dye Co., named for "Paasen," the Pennsylvania Dutch word for Easter. Today, the company claims that Americans purchase more than 10 million Easter egg decorating kits during the holiday season.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Second grader Jared Nakamoto plays peekaboo with two Easter eggs he dyed.

A good idea is certain to spawn imitators, and today, consumers have many more choices of dye kits that have become more elaborate over the years. Alternative kits now include glitter, stickers and marabou feathers for kids who don't think dye and crayons are enough. There are also tie-dye kits and dyes that glow.

But for many the PAAS kits are enough to get the job done, especially when augmenting the dyes with sequins, beads, stickers and other embellishment around the house. Many simply can't avoid picking up the PAAS boxes that remind them of childhood.

Noelle Sutherland, for one, carries on the Easter egg dyeing tradition that started with her grandmother.

Sutherland now raises chickens that lay eggs that are already pale green and pinkish brown, but that doesn't stop them from giving them an extra layer of color.

Sutherland and her husband, Jim, have also raised rabbits for 22 years, sharing the joy the animals bring by setting up Easter displays at local schools or businesses.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM The students used PAAS Dye Company'scommemorative dye kit.

Jaylene Chee also fondly remembers coloring eggs with her family, although she admits that she also liked it when, tired of seeing the boiled eggs go to waste, her parents made the switch to plastic eggs.

"Finding the eggs with money inside," she said, was one of the most memorable experiences.

Chee also started her own tradition for her nephews and can't wait until her 8-month-old son is old enough to join in the fun of baking Easter cookies, in the shape of bunnies and eggs, which also invite bonding and creativity.

"The kids really enjoy decorating them," she said.

The other benefit to decorating cookies is there's probably less waste and fewer egg sandwiches to eat when Easter's over.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Hoala School Kindergarteners Angel Bayot, left, Brianne Kiaaina and Zoie Bactista decorate Easter eggs in their Wahiawa classroom.