Not Your Average Easter Egg

Писанки (Pysanky) are not your typical Easter egg. In America we often dye our eggs one or two colors (perhaps more) and go hide them somewhere. But писанки are not just dyed, they are written on (писати) using beeswax and simple wooden and metal tools. The designs on these eggs are not random, rather they are deeply rooted in Ukrainian culture and tradition. For example you will see designs of nature such as birds, trees, along with modern Christian symbols. There is also a sun-type design which originally represented Дажбог (Dazhboh) a Slavic sun god. The colors also represent many different things such as the moon/stars/harvest (Yellow); purity and virginity (White); and new life (Green). There are also many superstitions such as the maze-like designs that are said to trap evil spirits. But like in Western culture, eggs are seen as a sign of rebirth and as an official beginning of spring. Писанки are given as gifts and it's always good luck and good form to give some to your local priest on Easter morning. So powerful was the писанки to Ukrainian culture that it was banned by the Soviet authorities as a religious ritual. As with some many things since independence in 1991, the art of писанки is making a slow but strong comeback. A spiritual and national rebirth, indeed! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pysanka) (http://learnpysanky.com/supplies.html)

How are писанки made? It takes eggs, beeswax, candles, a special stylus and lots of patience. I have tried to make писанки on two separate occasions. For me it was in exercise in concentration and language as I had to use my nascent Ukrainian skills to find out what was going on. In a nutshell, you gather wax from a melting candle and apply it to the egg. I saw some people drawing their designs but others skipped this part and began applying the wax. To get the wax from the candle to the egg you need to use a special stylus called a кістка. Holding the кістка carefully in one hand you must scoop the wax into the tiny funnel and hold the funnel over the candle. As the wax melts in the funnel it drips out the other end. As you work you learn how much wax to melt and how to guide the кістка over the egg. When you are finished with your first design you bring your egg to the jars where they are dunked in dye. The idea is to build up several layers of designs and several layers of colors. Every thing which is covered in wax will not receive the dye. So this is a process that can continue as you build your artistic masterpiece. Whenever you are finished you burn the wax off by holding the candle to the flame. You then polish your писанки and varnish it with a coating of egg yolk.

While I was not very adept at making писанки I was many people who were. This is a real art form that speaks almost as much about culture as it does about religion. Perhaps next year I will make an every bigger artistic statement!

 Notice the кістка in the right hand.

 Teacher in action.

 Dyes and other tools of the trade.

 Language teacher explaining the steps.

Completed писанка