Pysanka: The Ukranian Easter Egg (1975)

Overview

"To celebrate the first day of spring, or Velykden (the great day), ancient people of Ukraine decorated eggs with bright and fiery designs." Learn the history of the Ukrainian art of pysanka, or decorating eggs, a custom that predates the Christian era. Follow along as Luba Perchyshyn, a master of the art, goes through the elaborate process of drawing in wax on the egg before dipping it into the dyes. This is repeated numerous times on each egg, using a darker color every time. The symbolic meaning of the designs is also discussed, and examples of pysanky throughout the centuries are shown.

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