Pysanky: history, types and what not to do with them

On the bright holiday of the Resurrection of Christ, we choose beautiful postcard options to congratulate loved ones, bake Easter and paint eggs. Let’s talk about what you should know about paints.

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It is worth knowing that the tradition of painting eggs existed all over the world. But, it is in Ukraine that painting Easter eggs has become a tradition and art since the 10th century. Today it is considered that this is a national Ukrainian tradition.

It is the eggs that are painted for a reason, since they are a symbol of life and rebirth – it is not alive, but it is able to give life.

Pysanka itself is a symbol of the origin of the world, a reminder of the sun. It is worth knowing that only a “living” egg has sacred power. Ceramic or wooden are rather souvenirs.

Pysanka

Honored craftswoman of folk art of Ukraine, member of the National Union of Masters of Folk Art of Ukraine, candidate of pedagogical sciences, author of almost 20 scientific works Svetlana Stadnik says:

It is not known where the custom of dyeing eggs and all the mythological and ritual content associated with this came from. Juvenal, Ovid and Pliny recall this custom in their notes. The Romans used colored eggs in their ritual games and rituals, considering it an attribute of the creator of all nature, who acts everywhere and contains everything in himself. He probably came to Europe from Asian or Semitic peoples, in whom even before the birth of Christ there was a custom for the new year to put boiled colored eggs on the table and give them to their benefactors. Cornelius Brun, who visited Persia in 1704, recalls that the locals congratulated each other on the New Year with painted eggs.

Of particular interest is the Persian cosmogonic myth, behind which at first there was nothing but a deity, finally an egg was born, which the night covered with its black wings, and the eldest son of the Creator, love, took care of him. When the egg matured, the universe emerged from it.

Kinds

There are five types of colored eggs in total:

• Easter eggs – eggs that are painted with wax;
• krashenki – eggs painted in one color;
• specks – colored eggs, on which colored dots are applied;
• shkryabanki – eggs with an ornament that is scratched with a needle;
• malevanki – eggs that are painted with brushes.

Malevanki / Photo: Instagram

Do’s and Don’ts with Pysanky

Remember, Easter eggs are sacred objects and you need to be careful with them. In pre-Christian times, pysanky were buried next to the field where the harvest was to come. But according to popular beliefs, Easter eggs were a source of land fertility, wealth, prevented various misfortunes, protected from natural disasters.

After the Baptism of Russia, Easter eggs were also used to decorate the house: they were hung from the icons.

Krashenki / Photo: Instagram

After the festive service in the church, the family would come home and before breakfast they would always wash themselves with water from a bowl, in which three red Easter eggs and coral beads were placed in advance. Young girls, of married age, had to wash themselves first, and at the end they took Easter eggs. After washing, the water was considered sacred, it was poured only under flowers or fruit trees. People believed that such water would improve plant growth.

It was impossible to throw away the pysanka. If an egg accidentally beat, its shell was either buried in the ground or floated on the water.

Read about what the symbols on Easter eggs actually mean on Vogue.ua.

Earlier we talked about how to dye eggs for Easter in a natural way.