The delicate nature of real eggs is what makes Pysanky eggs all the more unbelievable. If you’ve never seen them, you are in for a wonderful treat.
Part of an ancient Ukrainian tradition, decorating these fragile pieces is a time consuming and delicate process that requires creativity and much patience, and most people who see these beauties don’t believe the are real eggs until they are told of the technique to get them there.
The first step in the making of Pysanky eggs is to puncture the shell of an egg in two separate places then carefully and slowly blow the liquid contents of each egg out. Once this is done, the artist takes a hot wax pen and draws a pattern on the shell. Because the shells are so fragile, this part of the process is rather difficult. After the design is drawn on each egg, it is then dipped into various dyes. In between each dipping, the eggs must dry before they can be drawn on further. This produces beautiful, overlapping patterns on the eggs that are almost impossible to believe.
This Easter egg decorationtechnique is considered by many different folk cultures around the world as a symbol of springtime and rebirth. So the decorations have a much deeper meaning than simply being pretty to look at on your Easter Sunday dinner table. They have a cherished history, and are often thought of as being a glorious symbol of the chick emerging from what may seem like a lifeless shell, as well as the grass growing and flowers blooming from the cold, hard winter ground.
