My friend, Krystyna, is interested in antiques and their restoration. Being a President of Canadian Antique Collectors Association (CACA) she loves sharing her outstanding knowledge about antiques with general public. Recently she has written a short article about the history of Easter Eggs for CACA monthly newsletter. I found it very interesting and got her permission to share it with you.



”The tradition of decorating eggshells predates Christianity. Over 5.000 years ago they were commonly placed in the graves of ancient Sumerians or Egyptians.

 In many cultures around the world, the egg is a symbol of new life, fertility and rebirth. For thousands of years, Iranians and others have decorated eggs on Nowruz, the Iranian New Year that falls on the Spring Equinox. 
For Christians, the Easter egg is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 No matter what someone believes in, I am quite sure that all of us can appreciate the beauty of Pysanka ( polish Pisanka). Easter egg decorating is a tradition shared by everyone, from children using vegetable dye to decorate their eggs, to professional artists creating intricate and elaborate egg designs.

 There are many different decorating techniques to achieve beautiful Pysanka. Natural colours are obtained by using various plants: brown - onion peels; black - nutshell of walnut; pink: beet juice. A batik (wax resist) process is used to create intricate, brilliantly colored eggs. 

Though chicken eggs are most common, other bird eggs are also used, including duck, goose, emu and ostrich. Ostrich and emu eggs are large and sturdy, making them perfect for carving and drilling. Easter eggs are sometimes hard boiled and then dyed, and eaten afterward, but the eggs can also be hollowed out to preserve the shells long after they are painted.

The best known decorative Easter eggs were made by Peter Carl Fabergé, a Russian jeweler who left the country after the Revolution. Fabergé was first commissioned by Tsar Alexander III of Russia to create an Easter gift for his wife, Tsarina Maria Fedorovna in 1885. Tsarina loved the gift so much that it became an annual tradition and she received a new Fabergé egg at Easter of each year until 1917.

 For those of you who would like to learn more about Pysanka, the best place in the world to do so is the Pysanka Museum in Kolomyia, Ukraine. There are over 10.000 Pysanka’s to see.
 If you do not want to go so far, in Vegreville, Alberta, there is the world’s largest Pysanka. It is almost 26 feet long, 18 feet wide and 31 feet high and weighs about 3,000 lb.

 Pysanka’s are typically made to be given to family members and respected outsiders. To give a Pysanka is to give a symbolic gift of life, which is why the egg must remain whole. 
So, if you get a Pysanka, please display it prominently in the main room of the house as a reminder of friendship, a symbol of protection, but most of all as a unique piece of art.”

Happy Easter!