Slavic Eggs

The art of writing pysanky started over two thousand years ago in Eastern Europe. The Slavic people would take bees wax to write symbols on eggs and dye them. They were made for the spring equinox festivals as they celebrated the sun bringing the earth back to life from the cold death of winter. The eggs were buried in the soil in hopes of a successful harvest, shared with friends to wish them good health and with newlyweds for luck. When Christianity arrived around 900 AD, the eggs took on the Christian meaning of Easter with new symbols and were blessed by the priest. All the different Slavic groups use the same patterns, symbols and dyes but there are subtle differences between each ethnic group. Four are on display here.

• Company Name : JoAnn Parks