| Good Friends | | | | catch the birds, but they could get the eggs. Thus eggs |
| Years ago I had the pleasure of caring for a small girl | | | | were believed to have magical qualities and to be the |
| from Poland. She had a "hairy nevus" on her upper | | | | source of life and rebirth. |
| arm. The upper arm looked like it was covered in gorilla | | | | The pysanky were made by the women of the family |
| hair, except for one thin strip of skin on the inner | | | | in a highly secret setting. The women made them after |
| aspect of the arm. She was in the USA for a plastic | | | | the children went to bed. No peeking was allowed. The |
| surgery procedure to remove the nevus. | | | | secrets of the dyes and designs were passed down |
| | | | from mother to daughter, generation to generation. The |
| The girl and her family were wonderful people. Only | | | | eggs would be made over the course of a week. It |
| the father spoke English, but I became good friends | | | | was not uncommon for one household to make 40 to |
| with the girl and her mother. They were in the US for | | | | 60 eggs. Eggs were given out to family members and |
| about a month and a half. The father was often busy. I | | | | esteemed friends. |
| spent a lot of time with the mother and child. We didn't | | | | The making of the pysanky was thought to take the |
| need to speak the same language to communicate | | | | goodness of the women and transfer it into the design |
| and I grew to love them. | | | | on the egg. This was thought to decrease the hold evil |
| After about 3 weeks, I found out that the child's 6th | | | | could have on the household. The eggs held the |
| birthday was the following week. Engaging the help of | | | | household safely when the women displayed |
| a few good friends, all with children near the child's age, | | | | exemplary behavior prior to creating them. |
| I managed to put together a surprise birthday party. | | | | The women were to ensure they exhibited the |
| We had so much fun! It was a surprise to both the | | | | qualities of love and benevolence during the day |
| mother and child. To this day, I can still see their faces | | | | before they made pysanky. They were to care |
| as walked into the room. | | | | tenderly for their families, refrain from evil thoughts and |
| After they returned to Poland the mother and I kept in | | | | cook a good dinner. By living virtuously it was thought |
| touch. A couple of years later, she sent some | | | | that the goodness transferred to the egg would be |
| beautifully painted wooden eggs for Easter. She | | | | stronger. |
| explained that the making of these eggs was a | | | | The eggs had to be fertile, or the household would not |
| tradition passed down through her family in Poland. | | | | be fertile. The symbols and colors all had meaning. An |
| I have treasured these eggs for years as a symbol of | | | | embattled line (a square up and down like the top of a |
| our friendship. We lost touch while I lived in NM, but the | | | | castle turret) going all the way around and meeting is |
| eggs keep her close in my mind and heart. This Easter | | | | supposed to trap evil spirits and contain them. One of |
| I decided to write about these eggs as a tribute to a | | | | mine has a bird, this is supposed to ensure life and |
| friendship that grew despite language differences. | | | | happiness in the home. |
| Pysanky-Beautiful Eggs | | | | In 988 A.D. the Ukraine officially became a Christian |
| Pysanky are beautiful decorated eggs made, most | | | | state. The prince converted and forced it on the |
| commonly, in the Ukraine. The word Pysanky (plural) or | | | | people. Velykden became Easter. Over time the |
| Pysanka (singular) comes from the word pysaty which | | | | pagan symbols took on Christian overtones. For |
| means "to write". The designs are drawn on using a | | | | example, the triangle went from symbolizing air, fire |
| kistka (a special writing implement) and beeswax. The | | | | and water to symbolizing Father, Son and Holy Ghost. |
| egg then go through a series of dyeing and drawing | | | | After the advent of Christianity the eggs held even |
| on more wax. The wax is removed at the end and a | | | | more power. People would take their eggs to church. |
| beautiful and intricate design remains. | | | | At the church the eggs would be blessed evoking |
| True psyanky are not wooden, but actual egg shells. | | | | even greater power to them. |
| Traditionally the egg was left whole and eventually | | | | Pysanky and Easter Eggs |
| dried out. Now it is more common to empty the egg | | | | Eggs are a symbol of rebirth throughout the world. It is |
| after it have been decorated and a coat of varnish | | | | thought that hard-boiled eggs for Easter became |
| has been applied. The wooden ones are much more | | | | popular after Lent in Europe because they were |
| durable. The design has been painted on and they are | | | | forbidden to be eaten during Lent. People would |
| equally beautiful. | | | | hard-boil them to preserve them until after Lent. They |
| The Tradition of Pysanky | | | | were a favorite gift for servants and children. No |
| People began making pysanky some time around | | | | where else is the dyeing of eggs such a tradition as in |
| 4000 years ago. The egg was considered the | | | | the Slavic territories. Here it is an art form! |
| beginning of everything. The shell was the heavens, | | | | Good Friends |
| the white was the water, and the yolk was the earth. | | | | I learned a lot researching these eggs, but mostly I |
| Later, the egg became a symbol of rebirth. Pysanky | | | | learned what a good friend she was! Pysanky are not |
| decorations are symbols that give the power of health, | | | | just given to anyone. They are given to people to |
| wealth, power, fertility and rebirth, to name just a few. | | | | bless them and show esteem. They are only given to |
| Velykden was initially the name for the spring equinox, | | | | people you love and wish the best for. Pysanky are |
| the feast of life or rebirth. It translates to "great day". | | | | given as a symbolic gift of life. I never knew until now |
| The early Slavs believed in a sun god. The birds were | | | | what I had been given, but I know I love her as always. |
| the only beings able to get close to the sun god and | | | | Language is not a barrier to love! |
| so were the sun god's chosen. The people could not | | | | |