A Ukrainian Easter egg workshop on March 30 will help participants make intricately designed eggs and educate them on Ukrainian culture at the Chapel Hill Public Library.
Ukrainian Easter eggs, or pysanky, are traditionally made at the start of spring to symbolize a rebirth of nature and connection with a new harvest. Participants will make a decorated egg, and the event organizers hope they learn about Ukrainian tradition and history.
To make pysanky, the eggs are first cleaned by poking holes through both sides of the egg and blowing into it to leave only the egg shell. Participant will then use a comb-like tool to etch in designs with wax warmed over a candle.
At the end, the eggs will be completely black until the wax is melted off to reveal the designs underneath. The designs are traditionally birds, plants or something rooted in nature in order to bring luck into the new harvest.
Donna Goldstein, a co-organizer of the workshop, said participants have said that it feels like a spiritual experience due to the design not being visible until the end.
“It’s very, to me, like a magical tradition,” Goldstein said.
The event is organized by the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina. Iryna Voloshyna, the educational and cultural outreach member for the association, said that events like the egg workshop are designed to promote Ukrainian culture.
Due to recent political activities in Ukraine, Voloshyna said it needed to be be seen as different from countries like Russia. The egg-making workshop and events like it serves to show a special part of Ukrainian culture.
“We want to emphasize that we are separate, we are distinct and we are unique,” Voloshyna said.
