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12 THE OSHAWA TIMES, Friday, April 9, 1965 TIME-HONORED UKRAINIAN EASTER CUSTOM CALLS FOR SKILL AND PATIENCE MRS. WALTER KUCH USING KRISTKA Mothers, Daughters Learn To Make 'Pysanky a sl ms WHICH ONE WILL BE MINE, -- PONDERS KAREN PLISKHA Richly Decorated Eggs With Magic Powers The egg, as the embodiment of the life principle has been associated with mythical and religious ceremonies from the earliest pagan times. With the advent of Christianity the egg transcended its symbolism of nature's rebirth and became the representation of man's rebirth. Christianity absorbed the egg symbol which was likened to the tomb of Christ from which he rose and the custom of ex- changing gift eggs became a pledge of faith and love, A RELIGIOUS TOKEN During earliest Christian cere- monies commemora the Re- surrection of Christ, rich orna- mentation of the egg began and the egg was kept as a religious memento. In 988 A.D. when the Ukraine accepted Christianity, the de- corated egg became an impor- tant symbol in the Ukrainian rituals of the new religion. Mrs. Walter Kuch who is skilled in egg decorating, ex- plained the difference between the "Pysanka" and the "Krash- anka", the two most widely known types of Easter eggs in the Ukraine. The Krashanka is derived from the word Kraska meaning color. Krashanka is a|"e- hard-boiled egg, dyed a solid brilliant color which may be|t¢t Sunday a special resurrec- eaten. Pysanka (plural pysan-|tion service is held in which the ky) stems from the verb pysaty (to write) as the designs are actually written on the egg which is then dyed in several ite. pysanky. The man Christ; the peddler, Simon, From the colorful Hutzuk who lived in the western Ukraine, comes a story of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the agony of Christ, it is said, she decor- ated some pysanky to offer to Pontius Pilate een pleading for the life of her Son. As she prepared them her tears fell on the eggs, forming dots of brilliant color. To this day dots are incorporated in the decorating designs in honor of Our Lady's Tears. FAMILY TRADITION Each province, each village, indeed almost every family has its own special ritual, its own symbols, meanings and secret formulas for dyeing eggs. These heritages are preserved faith- fully and passed down from mo- ther to daughter through gen- erations. The custom of decorating py- sanky is observed with greatest care and a pysanka, after re- ceiving the Easter blessing is held to contain great powers. Folklore has it that a decorated jegg can avert any evil, i was clusion of the service, rows of food-laden baskets with a light- ed candle in each are blesse by the priest. Each basket is covered with a richly embroid- ered napkin and contains a tra- ditional Easter bread, Paska, and a selection of various Eas- ter foods along with the multi- colored pysanky. This custom is treasured in Canada, although others have been modified. It is the custom, after the blessing, to exchange pysanky with dearest friends and relatives with the greeting, "Khrystos Voskres", to which the reply is "Voistym Voskres"' (He is Risen indeed). Since the Ukrainian Church follows the Julian calendar, their Easter falls later than other Christian churches; This year it will be celebrated on Sunday, April 25. Already many families have \decorated their pysanky. Many jvariations in the process of egg ' Lessa are found and patterns are predominantly . geometric with abstract adaptions of fa- miliar objects. There are also plant and animal, particularly the reindeer, designs. VEGETABLE DYES Mrs. Kuch explained that in the homeland dyes were made from plants, roots, barks and berries. A pale yellow was ob- tained from the onion; red from brazilwood or logwood; dark green and violet from the seed husks of sunflowers and_ the bark and berries of the elder- berry bush and black from the} walnut. | The eggs were usually pre-| pared in secret. They had to be| farm fresh, raw, smooth, prefer- ably unwashed, without any marks or scratches. To apply the pattern, an instrument call- ed a kistka is used. This is a tiny metal cone attached to a stick, The metal is chimbrass, very thin, and in the old days it was. wrapped around horse hair tc make a fine pointed) cone, Today a needle is used. Several kistkas with different) sized openings for fine lines or| | LUCITE good crops and help a young! maiden win the man of her de- At the break of dawn on Eas-! congregation sings a traditional! hymn, "Christ Is Risen' (Khry-| stos Voskres). | To Ukrainians Easter is not| | CANADA PATTE'S T PAINT AND WALLPAPER filling in areas, are necessary. The hands must be very clean and the egg slightly warm, at least room temperature. 'The egg is rotated slowly in the left hand and the kistka is held like a pencil. A metal cup of bees- wax is supported over a paraf- fin lamp. The tip of the kistka is put into the darkest part of the flame. When the tip is very hot the little cone is dipped into the liquid beeswax to flow through the tiny opening. STEADY HAND AND EYE It takes skill and dexterity to draw a pattern in a flowing line vithout making blots because MISS ANNE SABAT, Mrs. Walter Grigorenko, Mrs. John Dutchak and Mrs. Nicholas Semenuk can relax and enjoy themselves while decorating pysanky. Notice the lamp and molten bees- wax into which each dips the kristka, the implement for tracing the design in wax on the fresh, raw egg. --Oshawa Times Photos the wax sets quickly. After the| a ifirst lines have been made, the egg is dipped in the palest dye till the desired color is obtain- ed. Then after it has dried, a second pattern in wax is ap- plied, developing the pattern further and then the egg is dyed again in a deeper color. This process is repeated about five times until the last dye is purple or black. The egg is then set in a cool oven, 250 degrees, until the wax has all melted off and only the tracery and color re- main. It may then be given a coat of clear shellac for gloss. Endless lines symbolize eter- nity and dots, the Virgin-Moth- er's Tears. The star is used as symbol of the Sun God, pre- dating Christianity; the rose represents nature's beauty. Arrow heads point to youth and eternity and scrolls, good crops. Primitive symbols include the sieve or net, the ladder and the STUDENTS BROADENED VANCOUVER (CP) -- Simon |Fras iversit ill t It is believed that as long as ra Vee ve ee the custom of decorating Segs|Dright children of 15 or 16 with- continues, Christianity will sur-jout high school graduation, vive; that fine lines encircling|when it opens next autumn. It the eggs are symbolic of eter-|will also accept, after a com- nity, without beginning andjpetency test, adults in their late without end, that the egg, while|20s or over who lack a Grade being dormant, contains a new\!2 certificate. presses wealth and prosperity and the stork or hen fulfillment of wishes and fertility. Horticutural Society Meets - An interésting and enthusias- tic meeting was held in the main auditorium of the E. A. Lovell School on Centre street when the Oshawa Horticultural Society held its regular meeting Monday night. A review of the business and plans for the Society were com- mented on by the president, Mr. Duncan MacMillan to bring the members up to date. Mrs. Dalton Fickes, chairman of bus trips, gave her report on the trip to the Ice Follies and gave an outline of the plans to visit Allan Gardens in Toronto April 24 and the trip to Ottawa on May 22 and 23 at tulip time. Mrs. Fickes stressed the need for early reservations, With the 1965 Year Book on hand for the meeting, Mr, Rich- ard Branton urged the members to enter their gardens for com- petition this season, Mr. Bran- ton, assisted by Mr. Lloyd John- ston, looked over and comment- ed on the special shows of the coming season and urged the members to enter their flowers in the coming season. ' A film, which gave detailed information to make various types of floral arrangements, was particularly interesting as the audience watched the de- sired lines and effects being formed with flowers by simple and effective methods. A short talk on planting and growing dahlias was given by Mr: Lloyd Johnston and Mr, Wil- liam Bradbury gave helpful hints on the care of roses. These short talks gave prospective growers many helpful hints for the coming season. The door prizes were won by Mr. William MacDonald, Mrs. Fred Loveless and Miss Leona Stainton. HAIR DESIGN Salon of Distinction Call 723-5201 151 King St. East life sealed within it and is a} symbol of the Resurrection. | ANNUAL Spring Hower WEAVING PERSISTS Canada's oldest industry is textiles. Weaving homespun clothes was begun in Quebec three centuries ago. TV and STEREO KS wavne's SEE "SPRING" IN fester Lilies -- H --_ Telephone 723-1411 end Flower A | REED'S FLORISTS Sat. Afternoon 1-6 p.m, and PALM SUNDAY - APRIL (ith REED'S GREENHOUSES All Dey... Free Admission ALL IT'S BEAUTY Deffodils T Show 'ulips -- Cernetions --- rake. 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