Ukrainian Easter Eggs With An Age-Old Equine Twist Written by Shya Beth You may have seen real chicken eggs decorated with bright colors, in-
In the weeks preceding Easter, women and girls would gather at
tricate designs and symbols around Easter time, but did you know this
night and start working on creating pysanky that would be given
ancient craft is intertwined with horses and is practiced around the
to family, friends, priests, left at loved ones’ graves and even given
world? Now thought more of a decorative art form, historically these
to the farm animals for protection. There is a ritualistic, perhaps,
eggs were thought to be incredibly powerful in Ukrainian tradition.
mystic element involved, a calling out to the gods and goddesses for health, fertility, love, and wealth. There is a yearning for eternity, for
The first thing to know about Pysanky, also spelled Pysanka, is that it
the sun and stars and a mysterious element, transcending through
is an ancient Ukrainian art form that translates to “to write” or “to in-
time.
scribe”, as the colorful and often complex designs are not painted, but drawn on, using beeswax as ink. The egg is the canvas, and the message
Each region, town and family had their own designs, symbols and
is hidden in a language all of its own through the colors and symbols
meanings that were passed down from mother to daughter for gen-
that are dyed and written on the egg’s shell. The art form is practiced
erations. Although some meanings and designs have been lost to
throughout central European countries, but Ukraine is the epicenter of
time, there have been many books, website groups, and festivals
the craft, and its history runs deep within Ukrainian culture.
dedicated to preserving its history.
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Spring 2022 | Riding Instructor
