Egg decorating in Slavic culture

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The tradition of egg decoration in Slavic cultures originated in pagan times, and was transformed by the process of religious syncretism into the Christian Easter egg. Nevertheless, these decorated eggs have retained much of their pagan symbolism.

Many Slavic ethnic groups, including the Bulgarians (писано яйце, pisano yaytse), Croats (pisanica), Czechs (kraslice), Poles (pisanka), Russians (писанка, pisanka), Serbs (писаница, pisanica), Slovaks (kraslica), Sorbs, Slovenes (pisanica or pirh), and Ukrainians (писанка, pysanka), decorate eggs for Easter. Many of the names derive from the slavic root pisa which relates to writing. In Slavic tradition, the egg (similar to icons) is written, not drawn or painted.

The pattern is often applied to an egg by the process of wax-resist, similar to batik. A stylus is used to apply hot wax to the shell of an egg, which is placed in a series of dye baths. The wax seals the dye into the egg; the colors and pattern are revealed when the wax is removed (by melting it off) at the end.

Other techniques include "drop-pull" eggs, a variation on batik which uses a simple pin head to apply wax; a "scratch" technique, where dye is applied to an egg and then patterns scratched onto the shell; painted eggs, where the shells are simply painted; and various versions of appliqué, where items (straw, paper, beads, sequins) are glued to the shell of an egg.

While decorated eggs of various Slavic nations have much in common, national traditions vary.

[edit] See also

• Easter egg
• Polish pisanka
• Ukrainian pysanka
• Croatian pisanica

[edit] External links

• Pysanka: Icon of the Universe
• Polish Traditions and Customs
• Pisanki - Icons of the universe
• Examples of Croatian pisanice
• Ukrainian Traditions and Customs
• "New Easter Egg": traditional shape of famous Russian souvenir with modern design