Pace Eggs: A Lancashire Easter Tradition
Before Easter became a chocolate-fuelled celebration, springtime traditions in Britain were steeped in ancient customs and symbolism - and none more charming than the humble Pace Egg. This northern English tradition, with roots in Lancashire and West Yorkshire, has all but vanished in the age of supermarket confections. But for those who love the slow rhythms of seasonal craft, it offers a chance to reconnect with something more tactile and enduring.
Egg rolling on the White House South lawn, 1929.
The term Pace comes from “Paschal”, the Latin word for Easter. Pace eggs were traditionally hard-boiled hen, duck, or goose eggs, decorated in rich, mottled tones by boiling them in onion skins. They were exchanged as gifts, eaten on Easter Sunday, or rolled in grassy contests - perhaps echoing the rolling away of the stone from Christ's tomb. Some were even blessed before eating, believed to bring fertility, fortune, or protection from sudden death. Others were cracked against each other in playful battles, or kept whole as tokens of affection.
Midgley Pace Egg Play, 1912.
In true northern fashion, the giving of pace eggs was also wrapped in performance. Pace Eggers - mischievous troupes of mummers in ribbons, rags and painted faces - would roam the villages in riotous processions, singing ballads and collecting coins. With characters like the Noble Youth, the Lady Gay, and the drunken Old Toss-Pot (complete with a pin-stuffed straw tail!), these street plays brought laughter and colour to rural communities.
A Pace Egg demonstrating the mottled effect from boiling the egg wrapped in onion skin.
Though the custom has faded, you can still find echoes of it in Heptonstall’s annual Pace Egg Play, or the egg-rolling races held each Easter in Preston’s Avenham Park. And now, through this simple craft tutorial, you can bring the tradition into your own kitchen.
Pace eggs dyed with onion skins.
Using natural dyes like onion skins, beetroot, red cabbage, or turmeric, you can create your own Pace Eggs with nothing more than a few scraps from the vegetable drawer. Whether you eat them, roll them, or simply admire them in a springtime bowl, these eggs connect us to something deeper: a story of renewal, of craft, and of the way ordinary things - like an egg - can carry extraordinary meaning.
Just one final note of caution: Lancashire folklore warns that empty eggshells must always be crushed… lest a wandering witch uses them as a boat!
Make A Naturally Dyed Pace Egg
Materials and Equipment
- 6 Eggs
- Plant Material for natural dyes e.g Onion Skins, Turmeric, Beetroot, Purple Cabbage, Coffee grains etc. For turmeric and Coffee, use around a quarter of a mug. For vegetation, use around 2 mugs full.
- Salt
- Petals, foliage, flowers etc. for decoration
- A saucepan
- Ladle or large metal spoon
- An old pair of tights, lightweight fabric scraps such as muslin.
- Scissors
- String or elastic bands
Method
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Half-fill your saucepan with water and bring it to the boil. Add the eggs and boil until hard (about 10–12 minutes).
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Remove the eggs and allow them to cool. Meanwhile, refill your saucepan with water if needed, then add a couple of tablespoons of salt and your chosen plant dye materials. Simmer for up to an hour to extract the colour.
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While your dye is simmering, gently wet your sprigs of foliage or flowers and arrange them across the surface of each cooled egg.
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Take a piece of pre-cut tight or fine fabric and tie a knot in one end. Carefully wrap it around the egg, making sure the foliage stays in place. Secure the fabric with another knot, some string, or elastic bands. The wrap should be snug to keep the decorations pressed firmly against the shell.
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Once all your eggs are wrapped, gently lower them into the dye pot and simmer for another 30 minutes.
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Turn off the heat. You can remove the eggs now, or leave them in the dye to cool slowly overnight. The longer they soak, the deeper the colour.
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Unwrap the eggs and carefully peel away the leaves or flowers. Leave the eggs to dry completely before displaying.
Happy Easter from the Selvedge Team
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Image Credits:
Lead Image: Kathryn Davey
2/ Digital copyright Calderdale MBC
6 & 7/ Kathryn Davey
9/ Kate Bragg