How PAAS Came to Dominate the Easter Egg Dye Tradition

For many families, coloring eggs is one of Easter’s most beloved traditions. And for generations, those bright colors have often come from the same familiar source: PAAS egg dye kits.

Chances are good that if your family dyes Easter eggs, you have used PAAS at some point. In fact, the brand has been a staple of the holiday for decades, passed down from parents to children and likely to remain a part of Easter celebrations for years to come.

The company’s story began with a small accident.

In the late 19th century, a pharmacist in Newark, New Jersey, named William Townley was measuring powdered dye for a customer when he accidentally spilled some on his suit. Frustrated by the messy powder, Townley decided to find a more convenient way to handle the dye.

His solution was simple but effective: compress the powdered dye into small dissolvable tablets.

Townley soon began selling packets of his new Easter Egg Dye, each containing five brightly colored tablets that dissolved easily in water. The kits were inexpensive and easy to use, selling for about five cents each, a price that helped them become a quick success.

Seeing the potential for a larger business, Townley renamed his company the PAAS Dye Company. The name came from the Pennsylvania Dutch word “Passen,” which means Easter.

Over the years, the PAAS kits have evolved with the times. Modern versions often include extras such as stickers, decorative wraps, egg stands, and small wire holders that help lower eggs into the dye without making a mess.

Despite these additions, the basic idea remains unchanged: the small dye tablets dissolve in water, turning ordinary eggs into colorful holiday decorations.

Families had been dyeing eggs for Easter long before Townley’s invention. But his simple innovation made the process easier and more accessible, helping to cement PAAS as a familiar part of the holiday tradition.

Today, more than a century later, those little dye tablets remain a symbol of Easter creativity and a reminder that sometimes even a spilled bottle of dye can lead to a lasting tradition.