Red represents blood, the blood of sacrifice and life. Green symbolizes the growth of the plants. This is the traditional time for a great spring feast and the decoration of the table is as important as the food. Since this is a time when young animals are being born, milk is now available for making cheese and butter. In Poland, according to Dorothy Spicer in The Book of Festivals, a little lamb made of butter or sugar is placed in the center of the Easter table, which is laden with food and decorated with eggs, red paper cut-outs and festoons of green.
Eggs symbolize new life, of course, and wheaten cakes, grain.
In Italy, colored eggs are baked in braided loaves of bread on Easter, combining the two symbols. Hot cross buns, a traditional Easter food, may be very ancient. A wheaten cake marked with a cross was found in Herculaneum, preserved since 79, and may have been used in the spring rites. This is one of my favorites ways to celebrate spring. I've decorated eggs with nail polish, with food coloring and vinegar, with commercial egg dyes and with natural dyes.