Ukrainian Eggs!

Posted by Kerry Kubilius Apr 9, 2006

The tradition of Ukrainian eggs is a long one. These intricately decorated pysanky are symbolic as well as beautiful.

In Eastern Europe, painted wooded eggs serve as souvenirs for travelers who know something about the decorated-egg tradition. However, real Ukrainian eggs, or pysanky, are actually the shells of eggs that have been painstakingly drawn upon with beeswax and dyed in stages. The yolks of these eggs are often blown out, leaving the delicate shell to carry the design.

Pysanky designers are truly skilled. If you've ever attempted to draw on the curved surface of an egg, you'll know why! However, not only is the application of the pattern difficult, but the insides of the egg are blown out after the dye has dried and the wax removed. That means that, when the eggs are punctured on either end for yolk removal, one wrong move could ruin hours of work.