Pam Tranthem - Partners in Missions - Ukraine

Monday, 20 April 2009 11:35

NEVER TOO OLD

In Ukraine, as in America, Easter is a special time for children. There are special programs at church and special activities for children. Many of these childhood activities that remind us of our Lord’s resurrection, we remember and maybe even continue as adults. I have never been too old to color Easter eggs, just ask my Aunt Peggy about coloring and hiding Easter eggs with me when I was in my 20s and she was older than that! I could not wait for my children to get old enough to enjoy the art of Easter egg dying and - oh boy, when Sasha came into the family he had never colored eggs. Imagine that! He got a lesson that first year. This year I have learned a whole new way to color Easter eggs. I was invited to learn the art of “Pysanky”, which is the traditional Ukrainian way to decorate Easter eggs. That got me interested in researching more about the Ukrainian traditions of Easter.Pysanky is a Ukrainian Easter egg decorated using a wax-resist method. The designs are not painted on, but written with hot beeswax with a stylus pen. There are many different types of decorated eggs depending on where you live. The art of pysanky dates back to ancient times when Ukrainians worshipped a sun god called Dazhboh. Eggs were honored as representing the rebirth of the earth and a source of magical life. The long, hard winter was over; the earth burst forth and was reborn just as the egg miraculously burst forth with life. The purpose of the egg designs was to bring goodness on the household and protect the family from dangers and evils. When Christianity came to Ukraine in 988, the symbolism of the egg changed to represent the rebirth of man. Pysanky eggs were made by the women of the family during Lent. The woman of the house would set aside the most perfect eggs for dying. When the children were asleep the women in the family would gather, say their prayers, and go to work. It was all done in secret. The secret patterns and color dyes were preserved and passed down from mother to daughter.Beeswax is scooped into the stylus and heated over a candle flame. When it is liquefied you apply the wax to the egg with writing, drawing motion. The area where the wax is applied will stay white. Then the egg is dipped in the yellow dye and more wax is applied. This continued until you finished your design and the egg is completely dyed going from lightest to darkest ending in your base color usually black. After the egg dying is dry the wax is removed by holding the egg next to the flame and gently melting the wax and polishing the decorated egg. (In my case, we put ours in the oven to melt the wax.) For Russian Orthodox believers, by the Thursday before Easter, 60 eggs would be completed and taken to the Orthodox priest to be blessed and then given away. (It took me more than 6 hours to make 4 eggs)

Here is the traditional way in which all of the eggs were to be given away:

* One or two would be given to the priest.

* Three or four were taken to the cemetery and placed on graves of the family.

* Ten or fifteen were given to children.

* Ten or twelve were exchanged by the unmarried girls with the eligible men in the community.

* Several were saved to place in the coffin of loved ones who might die during the year.

* Several were saved to keep in the home for protection from fire, lightning and storms.

* Two or three were placed in the mangers of cows and horses to ensure safe calving and colting and a good milk supply for the young.

* At least one egg was placed beneath the bee hive to insure a good harvest of honey.

* One was saved for each grazing animal to be taken out to the fields with the shepherds.

* Several pysanky were placed in the nests of hens to encourage the laying of eggs.

Everyone from the youngest to the oldest received a pysanky eggs for Easter. Young people were given pysanky with bright designs; dark pysanky were given to older people.Even though I enjoyed learning the art of pysanky and the traditions of Easter and spring, I am so glad that today we do not have to worry about traditions or superstitions. Jesus Christ died on the cross and was resurrected on the third day to take away all of my sins and doubts about eternal life. That is what Easter is really all about. I want to close with the greeting that all Ukrianian Christians greet each other on Easter morning:

Christ is Risen! … He is risen indeed!