Easter on a Budget: Will egg prices change traditions?

As Easter baskets emerge from storage and families plan holiday celebrations, many Oregonians are facing sticker shock at the grocery store.

With the Consumer Price Index showing a 10.4% increase in egg prices in January and a 5.9% increase in February, local families are getting creative. Some are incorporating fake eggs into celebrations, while others are considering alternatives like dyeing marshmallows.

The humble egg — an enduring symbol of spring and once a cornerstone of affordable nutrition — has transformed into something of a luxury item, leaving families to weigh tradition against their wallets.

Egg prices in Eugene have seen significant increases during the past year, and they may finally be on the downslide. Prices at the Albertsons store on Hilyard in Eugene shows prices for one dozen conventional eggs were $2 less April 8 than March 12, with other prices lower as well. These prices were noted March 12:

• 12-count Lucerne large grade AA eggs: $6.99
• 12-count Happy Egg Co. organic free-range large brown grade A eggs: $8.99
• 18-count Lucerne cage-free large grade AA eggs: $10.49

Deck Family Farms posted a price on their website of $11.39 for a dozen organic pasture-raised eggs both March 12 and April 8.

These prices were noted April 8 at Albertsons:

• 12-count Lucerne large white grade AA eggs: $4.99
• 12-count Open Nature free-range large brown grade A eggs: $6.99
• 18-count Lucerne cage-free large grade AA eggs: $7.29

For comparison, a shopping receipt from March 2024 shows you could buy a dozen eggs at the same Albertsons location for $3.99.

Balancing traditions with rising prices

As Easter approaches, local residents are considering how these price increases will affect their holiday traditions.

Valerie Michalenko refuses to abandon her family’s Easter traditions despite the cost. 

“We are dyeing a dozen or two, but that’s it,” said Michalenko, who lives in Junction City with her daughter Haleena Michalenko and 11-month-old granddaughter Haisley Lou Grossman. 

“Coloring eggs at Easter is too much of a wonderful family tradition to let egg shortage stop it,” she said. “We also will be using fake eggs and felt pens.”

Many families, including the Michalenkos, eat the eggs after the hunts are over. 

“My daughter makes the best egg salad ever and we also love hard-boiled eggs,” Valerie Michalenko said.

Some area residents have found ways to circumvent the price increases. 

Gretchen Drew, who lives in Eugene with her family, including 8-year-old son Jack, says they don’t normally dye eggs, and price increases haven’t affected her because she buys eggs from a friend who has chickens. 

“It’s a great example of how Eugene’s local food systems can help us be resilient,” she said.

Lorane resident Rachel Pietila shared a similar experience, noting she hasn’t been affected by price increases because she also sources eggs locally. 

“This situation really has highlighted the fragility of our nation’s food supply chain,” she said.

Alternatives to dyeing eggs

Some families are turning to alternative traditions or methods to make their eggs go further. 

Marie Summers watched a video on YouTube from a food influencer named Steph Gigliotti who shared how she dyes marshmallows, a potentially easy and affordable solution for families who still want to have fun with their children without the expense of eggs.

Summers’s daughter and grandsons, Frances Harman and 6-year-old twins Xander and Zaccai, live in Iowa City, Iowa, and are likely to try the marshmallow craft. 

“She will get a dozen eggs and they can do those and also some marshmallows,” said Summers, who lives in Eugene. “Eggs are not nearly as expensive in Iowa as they are here. She can get them for about $3 a dozen at Aldi’s.”

“Blowing out” eggs is a technique that allows for decorating without losing the ability to eat or use the eggs. The process involves poking small holes at each end of the egg and forcing out the yolks and whites, leaving a hollow shell that can be decorated. The removed contents can be frozen for cooking later.

Pietila said one of her family’s traditions is to dye eggs red for good luck, blow them out, and put glitter inside.

“Each person receives one of these, and maybe some other goodies when they were younger, and it is saved until that person smashes it, hoping for a dear wish to come true!”

Pietila isn’t the only one to have a tradition of blowing eggs. 

“It’s a great way to be frugal but still have fun,” said Eugene resident Debbie Davenport. 

Davenport remembers making crafts from blown eggs when she and her sister were young, and did this with her son when he was young. She prefers this method as it prevents the hard-boiled eggs from going to waste after the egg hunt. 

“Not many kids enjoy boiled eggs that have been sitting around in the grass anyway,” she said. “They like the candy!”