On Maundy Thursday, it is customary in Bulgaria to dye Easter eggs, starting with the most important one—the first egg must always be painted red. This egg is used to make the sign of the cross on the foreheads of children and other family members as a blessing for health and happiness. It is then set aside from the rest and placed in a safe, visible spot such as a display case, where it remains until the following Easter, replaced by the new one. This red egg is believed to bring luck and protection to the household. The second red egg is often brought to church on the night of the Resurrection liturgy or on Easter Sunday itself.

This day is also associated with other preparations for the holiday. Kvass is renewed, and dough for Easter breads is kneaded. These breads are known by various names across Bulgaria, such as Easter bread, God's pie, koshara, harman, kvasnik, ovachenik, pletenitsa, or kukula. They are typically adorned with an odd number of red or white eggs, often embedded in the dough with decorative twists. Women also bake smaller festive buns with a red egg in the center, which are given to special guests, relatives, or best men as part of the tradition.

Among the many methods for dyeing eggs, one of the most distinct and traditional in Bulgaria is wax painting. This intricate technique involves using melted pure beeswax to draw patterns on the egg with a special tool resembling a pen. Only natural beeswax is suitable for this method—it must not be substituted with synthetic waxes or even regular candles, which do not maintain the needed consistency and can spoil the design. The beeswax, honey-yellow in color, must be melted gently, strained of impurities, and cut into strips for use.

During painting, the wax is kept warm in a shallow container, ensuring it remains workable without overheating. To achieve black outlines for the designs, the wax can be colored using pine tar or soot—a traditional approach that can be replaced with oil paints, which blend well with wax due to their similar composition. Wax can also be tinted in other colors like white, yellow, red, brown, ochre, and green. The pen used for writing with wax is dipped into the melted wax, which is then applied to the egg. In folk practices, alternatives such as needles, straws, broom bristles, or feathers may also be used to draw the intricate patterns.

The origin of the Easter egg remains a topic of scholarly debate. The oldest known decorated eggs date as far back as 2000 BC. These were ostrich eggs with engraved motifs discovered in Egypt and are believed to be connected to the ideas of resurrection and the afterlife, suggesting that the tradition has sacred roots from prehistoric times. As Christianity spread, these practices were incorporated into the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection.

In the Bulgarian region, the earliest decorated egg found dates from the Roman era—around the 4th to 3rd century BC—adorned with colored glass enamels. Painted eggs have also been uncovered in medieval Slavic burials from the 11th and 12th centuries.

Despite ongoing historical uncertainties surrounding the tradition’s beginnings, the Easter egg continues to symbolize resurrection, life, and love. Each vibrant egg carries a message of health, longevity, luck, and well-being.