The history of the ancient art of Pysanky is actually very interesting.  It is actually older than Christianity.  Pysanky means "to write."  In most societies, eggs themselves have a symbolic meanings.  They have represented fertility, good luck, protection and other such things.  Ukrainians extended their symbolizm by  "writing" on the eggs with their own symbols. The symbols representing different aspects of life that they hoped for or cherished such as their religion were drawn on using a tool called a kitksa and beeswax.  Then they were placed in different colored dyes which also represented different ideals just like the symbols themselves.   To read the meanings of the different symbols and colors... click here.

There was even a legend attached to this art according to the anceint Ukrainians.  The fable says that the art of Pysanky keep the evil monsters chained up and that when people stop learning Pysanky, evil will take over the world. 

 

These beautiful eggs were given as gifts to family and friends to signify different aspects of a person's life such as marriage or a birth of a child and was not limited to the holiday of Easter.  They were used to promote such things as protection, fertility, abundance, hopes, strengths, and other such things through different symbols, colors, and their meanings.  It was seen as a great honor to receive such a gift because they knew the love and time that was put inot it along with the meaning behind it.  They were displayed proudly with in their families and sometimes passed down to the next generation. It was also a tradition to keep their families eggs hiden from others from other towns or communities in Ukraine so that their patterns would not be copied.

    

 

Different regions of the Ukraine had their own styles such as trypillian which incoporated their own meaning.  Eggs Inspired by the ancient Trypillian societies, which are said to be in exsistance 7000 years ago in the Ukrainian region, are unique and beautiful.  They tend to be only in colors of white, brick, and black.  They also tend to be full of swirls and curls.  They designs were inspired mainly by the pottery found buried in these ancient cities.

 

This picture is from an interesting article I found on the internet.  To learn more about these ancient societies the mentioned article can be found at www.trypillia.com/ articles/eng/re3.shtml

Part of my family came from Sereth, Bukowania; now known as the Ukraine.  They moved to Michigan through Canada in 1912.  I would love to trace their history more but I hit roadbloacks in Canada when searching for the documents.  My great-aunt Helen gave me old family pictures and told me a few stories.  I also saw her mothers and fathers' passports showing that they were from this area.  It is thanks to my Great-aunt Helen that I know most of the information of this side of my family ~ God Rest Her Soul.  She was the one who persistantly passed on Pysanky to the next generation.  When Paula Zelenko, my step-mother, married into our family 21 years ago, she was briefed on the family rules.  "You've got to learn to do eggs," said Helen. "That's the only requirement to be in this family."  I will always be thankful to her for all that she has taught us and providing us with such pride in our ancestry.  She is greatly missed by all of us!

The art is "older than Christianity," said William Zelenko, my father, who learned Pysanky as a child. "My grandparents came from the Ukraine and brought the art with them.  For us it was connected with the Easter Bunny. We always thought all kids did eggs the same way we did."

Not surpizingly, our family has always had a high standard when it came to our eggs and we are very proud of our hertiage.  This always pushed me to do my best and explore many types of patterns or ways of doing psyanky.