Are Americans still planning to dye Easter eggs amid high prices? What poll says

Natalie Demaree, The Charlotte Observer on Apr 16, 2025

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Easter egg dyeing — a popular tradition for millions of Americans who celebrate the holiday — will not happen in many households this year because of high costs, a new poll found.

Nearly half of Americans, 47%, said they will not be dyeing eggs this Easter given the increase in egg prices, according to an April 15 WalletHub poll.

The survey of 200 people was conducted between March 31-April 4 and has a margin of error of 4.38%, a spokesperson for WalletHub told McClatchy News.

In March, egg prices rose by 1.3% compared to the previous month, hitting a record high of $6.23 per dozen, according to Consumer Price Index data.

A bird flu outbreak beginning in 2024 triggered the rising prices in eggs, with more than 168 million poultry impacted by the disease as of April 15, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What started the Easter egg dyeing tradition?

Egg decorating is “one of the oldest decorative arts,” now part of many cultures and traditions, according to the Library of Congress.

“This tradition has ancient roots in Persia and Zoroastrianism, but is now practiced across Eurasia by Persian and Turkic peoples of various faiths,” historians said.

There are many theories as to how dyed eggs became associated with Easter, a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

One idea, cited by the Library of Congress, is that Orthodox Christians in Mesopotamia were inspired by a roasted egg that’s part of the seder plate at Passover, a Jewish tradition. They dyed the egg red “as a symbol of Christ’s blood.”

Another theory is that eggs were symbols carried over from a historic Anglo-Saxon festival celebrating the goddess Eastre and the coming of spring, TIME reported.

It wasn’t until the 19th and early 20th centuries that Easter and other religious holidays shifted to be more family-friendly, according to the outlet. This is when egg-dyeing and the Easter bunny really emerged as part of these holiday traditions.

This year, however, the cost of eggs has some Americans looking for alternatives — including decorating potatoes, marshmallows and onions, The New York Times reported earlier this month.

Other poll findings

The poll also found that half of Americans think inflation will impact their Easter spending, and 52% don’t have a budget for the Easter holiday.

A smaller amount of Americans, 41%, also said they aren’t confident about their finances as they head into the spring, per the poll.

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