A Nanaimo woman is waxing nostalgic about Ukrainian egg art in the lead-up to Easter.

Decorative Easter eggs, pysanky, from the Ukrainian word pysaty (to write), date back to ancient times, according to Jeanne Rudy, a Nanaimo resident of Ukrainian ancestry. She was making and selling eggs at the Ukrainian Easter Bazaar at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Nanaimo on Saturday, April 1.

B次元官网网址淭hey were around since pagan times because the egg was a very important symbol of the new season, new life, rebirth,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲hen the Ukrainians adopted Christianity in 988 AD, a lot of the symbols that were put on eggs also had religious significance, like a fish before wouldB次元官网网址檝e meant good harvest, good fishing and then it came to represent Christ the fisherman.B次元官网网址�

Rudy said she uses a B次元官网网址渨ax-resist processB次元官网网址� to make the eggs and is B次元官网网址渟aving the colour with the wax.B次元官网网址� She drains the yolk out of a hole with a device similar to a wine siphon, hooked up to her laundry sink. She uses a water-filled syringe to wash the eggB次元官网网址檚 inside as well.

B次元官网网址淵ou start with the raw egg. Whatever part of the egg you want to stay white, you put wax on it, then you dip it in your next lightest dye, which might be yellow,B次元官网网址� said Rudy. B次元官网网址淎ny part of the egg you want to stay yellow, you put wax on and then you go through your colour progression, to your darkest colour at the end and then you melt the wax off and all the colours come through.B次元官网网址�

The process is meticulous as Rudy said she tries for the perfect egg.

B次元官网网址淚 have to go through a lot of dozens to get decent ones that are smooth, nicely shaped, you donB次元官网网址檛 see the membrane coming through and you look for cracks and things,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淪ometimes people look at me like IB次元官网网址檓 picky. TheyB次元官网网址檙e for decorating, not eating.B次元官网网址�

While Rudy makes eggs at Christmas for tree decorations, she said this is the true time of the year for decorative eggs, with secret dye recipes passed down through the generations.

B次元官网网址淚t was a very important ritual because they would put some (eggs) in the barn, under the hay for good milk production, in the beehives for good honey production, to the graves for deceased relatives, in their Easter basket to take to church for blessing,B次元官网网址� said Rudy. B次元官网网址淚t was a very important role for the women in Ukraine.B次元官网网址�

karl.yu@nanaimobulletin.com
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