The ancient art of pysanky dates back to pre-Christian times. All are invited to come learn about the history of this beautiful tradition, the tools used and the meaning behind the colors and symbols. A short demonstration will model the process of creating pysanky. Helen Crandell will present this forum on Sunday, April 14, at 10:15 am in the Nativity Hall.

As the war in Ukraine continues once again into the Easter season, interest is growing for the Ukrainian Easter tradition of decorating Easter eggs known as pysanky. Decorating them has become a gesture of peace, as the war has brought new meaning to an old tradition that dates back to pre-Christian times. In the first Easter season after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, artists organized fundraisers and sold these eggs to raise money for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. The name for these Easter eggs—pysanka in the singular and pysanky as plural—is derived from the Ukrainian verb pysaty, which means “to write,” or писати in Ukrainian. So in this case, the word refers to the writing on the eggs. While many Christians might be familiar with dying Easter eggs with solid colors, Ukrainian Easter eggs often feature complex geometric and floral designs. (from TIME magazine)