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While obviously not unique to Ukraine, no other country has been identified quite so closely with this ancient art form.

Rich in symbolism, the pysanka has brought hope and happiness to the Ukrainian people for centuries.

Designs used today have been traced to the Bronze Era, 5,000 years ago. After Ukraine accepted Christianity in 988 A.D., the symbolism was enriched with elements of Christian spirituality.

It's a legacy Ukrainians have been happy to share. You've no doubt come across displays and demonstrations at festivals and in museums. During Lent you're certain to find them being made in schools and in shopping malls, and, of course, in Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic church halls.

A few years ago Vancouver pysanka writer Susan Lazaruk began offering workshops at St. Mary's. She felt called to share not only the mechanics of this ancient art form, but also the message that practicing it can be a moving and deeply spiritual experience.

"I've never considered myself artistic, so while growing up I always found it quite intimidating," she said, "but after taking a workshop about 10 years ago, I realized that you only need to faithfully follow a few simple steps to beautifully decorate an egg."

Pysanky are created using a wax-resist method similar to batik. The Ukrainian word “pysanka” comes from the verb “pysaty,” meaning “to write.” Since the designs on the egg carry a message, pysanky are not painted, but written.

Traditionally, pysanky were made to transfer goodness from the household to the designs, and to push away evil.

During the day, the women in the family strove for a perfect spiritual state of mind (until recently only women made pysanky), avoiding gossip and dealing patiently with family members.

After the children were asleep, the women gathered, prayed, and quietly sang special songs while writing their pysanky. It was done in secret; no peeking was allowed! This was a mystical expression, not a social event.

In a large family, by Holy Thursday 60 pysanky would have been completed. They would then be taken to the church on Easter Sunday to be blessed, after which they were given away.

This Easter, as in years past, baskets filled with ritual foods and pysanky will be blessed in Ukrainian churches throughout the province of British Columbia, Canada and the world.

You don't have to be Ukrainian, however, to experience the joy of pysanky.

Over the years this ancient art form has attracted people of various cultural and religious backgrounds. Sharing this rich cultural legacy allows pysanka writers to introduce the elements of Christianity used in the craft, a subtle reminder of the reason for this season.

The legends

Legend has it that the fate of the world depends upon the pysanka. Should the practice of making pysanky cease, evil, in the form of a vicious monster forever chained to a cliff, will overtake the world. Each year, the monster sends its minions to see how many pysanky are in the world. If there are only a few, the chains loosen and the monster is freed to cause havoc and destruction.

Christianity has blended folklore with faith. One legend tells of the virgin Mary carrying a basket of eggs to the soldiers at the cross. Weeping as she begged them to be less cruel, her tears fell on the eggs, creating brilliant dots of color.

In another legend, the holy mother left them with soldiers sitting at the foot of the cross. As the blood of our Lord flowed down, it colored the eggs, symbolizing his redemption of humanity.

Yet another has Mary Magdalene going to the tomb to anoint the body of our Lord, taking for food a basket of eggs which are similarly transformed.

The symbolism

The most popular pysanka designs are geometric figures. The egg itself is most often divided by straight lines into squares, triangles, and other shapes. These shapes are then filled with other forms and designs.

One design called "40 triangles" (actually 48) symbolizes the 40 days of Lent, the 40 martyrs, the 40 days Christ spent in the desert, and the 40 life tasks of married couples.

The meander represents eternity, as it has no beginning and no end. Thus it is believed that an evil spirit which happens to enter a house and land on the egg is trapped forever and will never bother the residents again.

The cross, which in pagan times represented the four sides of the earth, now depicts the holy trinity. Plant motifs (particularly wheat) symbolize wishes for good health and a bountiful harvest.

Pussy willow branches are often depicted on pysanky (in Ukraine, the pussy willow replaces the palm leaf on Palm Sunday). The fish, originally a symbol of health, came to symbolize Jesus Christ.

Other symbols include the triangle (the holy trinity and the elements of air, fire, and water), diamonds (knowledge), curls (defense or protection), tripods (man, woman, and child; or birth, life, and death) and spirals (the mystery of life and death, as well as divinity and immortality).