NEW YORK, April 4. /TASS/. Some US citizens are painting potatoes and even onions for Easter instead of using chicken eggs, which have become costly, The New York Times (NYT) reports.
Prices for chicken eggs in the United States spiked over the winter after bird flu killed tens of millions of laying hens. In February, the average cost of ten eggs reached $5.9 - the highest in a decade - with some states seeing prices rise above $10 per pack. Although wholesale prices began to fall sharply in March, experts note that it may take time for retail prices to normalize.
Against this backdrop, some Americans are turning to alternatives to replace the main symbol of Easter, observed on April 20. Video tutorials showing how to color potatoes, marshmallows, and onions instead of eggs are gaining popularity on social media, with some clips attracting tens of millions of views.
Some organizers of Easter children's games, where kids collect dyed eggs scattered on the grass, are also making adjustments by using plastic substitutes. For example, Young's Jersey Dairy in Ohio, whose farm and amusement park is visited by more than 2,000 people each year on Easter, will use plastic eggs for the first time in its 40-year history.
"The responses have been pretty positive. I think people were quietly scared we’d cancel the event because of egg prices currently. So they’re glad we’re still doing it," company chief John Young told the newspaper.
Nevertheless, most Americans celebrating Easter still intend to follow tradition. The PAAS company, which annually sells more than 10 million Easter sets, conducted a survey of 9,000 customers and found that 90% would use regular hen's eggs for Easter, despite the prices being higher than usual.
