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.

香蕉视频直播淭hey were around since pagan times because the egg was a very important symbol of the new season, new life, rebirth,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲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 would香蕉视频直播檝e meant good harvest, good fishing and then it came to represent Christ the fisherman.香蕉视频直播�

Rudy said she uses a 香蕉视频直播渨ax-resist process香蕉视频直播� to make the eggs and is 香蕉视频直播渟aving the colour with the wax.香蕉视频直播� 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 egg香蕉视频直播檚 inside as well.

香蕉视频直播淵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,香蕉视频直播� said Rudy. 香蕉视频直播淎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.香蕉视频直播�

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

香蕉视频直播淚 have to go through a lot of dozens to get decent ones that are smooth, nicely shaped, you don香蕉视频直播檛 see the membrane coming through and you look for cracks and things,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淪ometimes people look at me like I香蕉视频直播檓 picky. They香蕉视频直播檙e for decorating, not eating.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淚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,香蕉视频直播� said Rudy. 香蕉视频直播淚t was a very important role for the women in Ukraine.香蕉视频直播�

karl.yu@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow Karl on and