**************************************** **************************************** ********************************
Rituals associated with the making of Easter eggs.
Time to write Easter eggs. Most Easter eggs are painted for Easter. Therefore, there was an opinion that they were painted only for this holiday. Previously, they were painted for all spring holidays and each of them had its own patterns.
On Candlemas - February 12, when winter meets summer, three Easter eggs with a simple, broken and oblique cross (swastika) were painted in the Cherkassy region. This is a sign that the Sun will send more and more heat to the earth.
For the holiday of Kolyada When the Sun was honored during the transition from winter to spring, a full, side, or half rose was depicted on Easter eggs. Girls gave such Easter eggs to boys as a sign of their affection and love.
For forty saints, you had to show your skills - forty Easter eggs had to be drawn with different patterns. If a woman coped with this, she was considered a real pysankarka. A must-have was a Pysanka with the “Forty Wedges” motif.
At the Annunciation, they already drew trees with flowers, different leaves, pine trees, leaves with ram's horns, hops - everything that is associated with growth.
Palm Sunday brought a colorful and intricate variety of Easter eggs. There were suns, twigs, and trees.
For Easter and Farewell Easter eggs are filled with sunny beauty. Here they are already expressing the full breadth of the creative soul. Only on Farewell the colors are darker and sadder.
Summer patterns are already coming to Mironositskaya (May 10). There are more diamonds, peas, and lamb horns.
On the Ascension they drew everything they knew. And suns, and stars, and endless trees, and various hops. They gave them to each other, carried them to the cemetery and placed them on graves. It happened that they were painted for Green Week, painted in a bow and placed on the graves of those who died a violent death.
So for almost four months they painted Easter eggs, glorifying spring and its holidays.
In distant provinces, for example, Podolsk, they began to write Easter eggs for the holiday of Kolyada. In Kuban, Kharkov region - from Maundy Thursday, sometimes from the 5th week of Lent or from half of Lent. In the Chernihiv region - from the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th weeks of Lent, and on holidays and Sundays writing Easter eggs was considered a sin. In the Poltava region - sometimes on Maundy Thursday, sometimes on Annunciation (March 25), continued on Palm Sunday. In the Kiev region - no later than Clean Week, sometimes earlier. In the Kherson region - from Maundy Thursday. “Forty-Kaklinians” wrote about 40 saints.
A special day for writing Easter eggs, as we see, was Maundy Thursday. Thursday has long been dedicated to Divine thunder and lightning. Among the Slavs it was the god Perun, among the Greeks it was Zeus, among the Romans it was Jupiter. There is a close connection between the veneration of the spring Sun and thunderstorms. The return of spring is accompanied by thunderstorms, which finally bring the Sun out from under the winter clouds. These two phenomena were combined in the imagination of man, and therefore Thursday took a special place in the celebration of the veneration of the Solar God. There is a belief that at midnight on Maundy Thursday spring begins. If at this time you scoop up water from the river before the kite wets its wing in it, then such water will bring beauty and health. If you bathe before sunrise, the water will cleanse not only the body, but also the soul. Clean Thursday also has a connection with fire, that is, with the earthly manifestation of the heavenly Sun.

Symbolism of Easter eggs.
The most ancient motifs that are found on pottery and ceramic pysanky are lines, circles, crosses, rhombuses, squares, and dots. One of the oldest motifs is considered to be a rhombic meander pattern, which was a symbol of the mammoth in late Paleotic art (displays the pattern of dentin on a section of the tusk of this animal). An example of such a design can be seen on a found bone bracelet from the Mezen site in the Chernigov region (18-20 thousand years BC. Fig. 1).

When choosing designs for Easter eggs, preference was given to agricultural motifs, customs and rituals of honoring the earth, heavenly bodies, and water. Easter eggs ornaments are associated with local nature and mythology. Stars, crosses, the Sun, which now generously decorate Easter eggs, have a specific meaning; among different peoples they symbolize happiness, prosperity, and good omen. The sun is drawn in the form of a circle, a swastika, a rose, a star - in the form of rays, water - in the form of waves.

Let's take a closer look at the symbols that are depicted on Easter eggs.

Fig. 2 - “endless” motif. Among the variety of Ukrainian Easter eggs ornaments, a special place is occupied by an unusually original element in the form of a wavy stripe. It is called “beskonechnik” and is very common in Easter eggs of the Hutsul region, Bukovina, Volyn, Kherson region, Poltava region. An analysis of the ornaments of modern Ukrainian folk art and archaeological sites clearly shows that our modern masters inherited the wavy “endless” ornament from ancient times and that it comes from the art of the Trypillian culture - the Neolithic period. Considering that the “endless” pattern in the art monuments of Tripoli culture was widespread much earlier than it was discovered in the cultural monuments of ancient Greece, we can conclude that the Greek masters borrowed a stylized image of the sea from our ancestors as the basis for the famous meander of Hellas. This, by the way, confirms that it was the Aryan peoples, when they moved to the south, who laid the foundation for the culture of the peoples of the Mediterranean. Other names are “wave”, “snake”, “meander”, “crooked”. It symbolizes the thread of life, the eternity of solar movement. “Endless” on a pysanka has neither beginning nor end, which means that the evil that falls into the house and into this trap will not be able to get out of it and will never bother the owner of the pysanka again. Varieties of Ukrainian meander:
1, 2, 3, 4 - Hutsul region.
5 - Northern Bukovina
6 - Transcarpathia,
7 - Volyn
8 - Kherson region
9 - ancient Greek meander.
Fig 3 - “Rhombus”. It is a symbol of fertility, a general symbol of the feminine in nature.
Fig 4 - “Square”, divided into parts with dots, was a symbol of a sown field. “Peas” - dots, symbolized grain that should germinate, or stars in the sky, or a cuckoo’s egg - a symbol of spring. In Christianity, dots became a symbol of the tears of the Mother of God.
Rice. 5 - “Triangle”. A very interesting example of the use of the “triangle” motif is Pysanka, which is called “forty wedges” and should consist of forty-eight triangles. In ancient times, each triangle was intended to fulfill one wish. The triangle also means three dimensions, three natural phenomena - fire-water-air, thunder-water-earth, heaven-earth heat, Reality-Nav-Rule, Man-Woman-Child. In Christianity, the “forty wedges” became a symbol of the forty days of fasting, the forty martyrs, or the forty days of Jesus’ sojourn in the desert, and the triangle symbolizes the Holy Trinity.
Rice. 6. - Staircase. Symbol of searching for a better life
Rice. 7 - Sieve. A symbol of the separation of good and evil.
Rice. 8 - Wheel, circle. This is a symbol of immortality, which manifests itself in nature through the continuous repetition of cycles of rebirth of life.
Rice. 9 - Symbols of the Sun. The most widespread and diverse group of signs are solar, ancient cosmogonic signs that depict celestial bodies, primarily the Sun. The sun is an eternal source of heat, the greatest force that defeats the cold of winter and returns spring awakening to all living things. The movement of the Sun is depicted in spirals (Fig. 9-1). This sign appeared on altars 10 thousand years ago. It is also a sign of fertility. In the ideas of our ancestors, the spiral was a sign of the Universe, and on earth it was a sign of a snake that lived near water and was its guardian. The sun is depicted by various signs (Fig. 9-2) Very often the Sun is depicted in the form of a rose (Fig. 9-3) A rose can be “full”, “empty”, “mangy”, “protruding”, “lateral”, “truncated” , “palpataya”, etc. Another sign of the highest deity of our ancestors was the swastika (Fig. 9-4). Other names for this sign are “four-legged”, “svarga”, “broken cross”. The swastika is a symbol of holy fire, a sign of protection from evil spirits, a symbol of the Universe, a sign of the four cardinal directions, four winds, four seasons. If the swastikas are rounded, then they are called “ram horns”, “spiders”, “steep horns”, “goose necks”, “rams”.
The swastika is found on the ancient monuments of all Indo-European peoples. It was found among the Mongolian peoples, the Phoenicians, Etruscans, Finns, the Gauls and Germans, and the Romans in the 3rd century AD. This is a favorite symbol of the ancient Aryans.
A variation of the swastika is the “tricorn” (Fig. 9-5). The three hooks of the “tricorn” are located at an angle of 120 degrees. Other names for this sign are “tripod”, “triquetra”, “rue”, “walnut leaf”, “spiders”, “steepers”. This sign is known from the Trypillian culture and, like the triangle, symbolizes some kind of trinity.
The cross was found as decoration on clay vessels on the islands of the Aegean Sea (10th century BC). The most common one is the “Greek cross” - four equal ends. (Fig. 9-6), sometimes “Latin” - with an elongated lower end. (Fig. 9-7)
Fig. 10. Another ancient symbol that is used on Easter eggs is the Bereginya Goddess - a symbol of life and fertility, the mother of all living things. She is depicted as a full-length woman with her arms raised up. She is depicted surrounded by flowering vegetation, fish, and stars. Often she holds a tree branch in one hand and the radiant Sun in the other.
Rice. 11. Tree of Life. One of the most popular plant motifs is a flowering plant in a flowerpot, or a tree, which symbolizes life. The Tree of Life embodies the past, present and future (Nav, Rule, Reality). The symmetry of the World Tree of Life meant the establishment of connections between parts of the world, in the heavenly, earthly and underground spheres, and the destruction of chaos.
Rice. 12. Floral motifs. They were widely used on Easter eggs. Plants were depicted completely, or their parts (leaves, flowers, branches). The oak (Fig. 12-1) and viburnum (Fig. 12-2) leaves symbolized enormous strength and undying beauty.
Oak is a sacred tree, the embodiment of Perun, the god of solar male energy, development, and life.
Viburnum is a tree of our Ukrainian family. Once upon a time, in ancient times, she personified the rebirth of the Universe, the fiery trinity - the Sun, the Moon and the Star. That’s why its name comes from the ancient name of the Sun - Kolo. Viburnum berries have become a symbol of blood and the undying Family.
Cherry is a symbol of girlish beauty and helps to attract love.
On Hutsul Easter eggs you can often see a stylized branch of smereka (Fig. 12-3) - a symbol of eternal youth and life.
Grape motif symbolized brotherhood, goodwill and true love.
An ornament of Apples and plums brought wisdom and health.
Hops symbolize the blossoming of youth and young love.
Also depicted were mallows, periwinkle, lilies of the valley, sunflowers, tulips, carnations, pine, violets, rue, wreaths of periwinkle, walnut, and leaves. (Fig. 12-4, 12-5).
Rice. 13. Animal motifs not as popular as plant-based ones, but we still see them. And this is evidence that our Slavic ancestors were vegetarians and did not eat meat. Animals occupied a much smaller place in their lives than plants. These are a rooster, crayfish, bee, fish, horses, sheep, deer, spiders, snails. Most often, pysankarkas draw them abstractly, sometimes only parts of animals: duck feet, ram horns (Fig. 13-1), chicken feet, crow's feet, ox's eye, hare's teeth, bear's feet.
The image of a horse occupies a certain place in Ukrainian everyday art. (Figure 13-2). He is associated with the cult of the Sun. The sacred horse moved the Sun across the sky.
Fish (Fig. 13-3) is a symbol of health, a sign of water, fertility, an ancient Ukrainian symbol of life and death. The other world is associated with fish, the one where the souls of our ancestors go.
The deer (Fig. 13-4) represented long life and wealth, and its antlers were associated with the rays of the rising Sun.
Birds (Figure 13-5) were considered harbingers of spring
The bee symbolizes the purity of the soul, the butterfly represents joy, carefree childhood, the transition of the soul to an eternal happy life.
The spider is a symbol of perseverance and patience.
Figure 14. Another interesting group of Easter eggs - Easter eggs with everyday motifs in the ornament. Such Easter eggs depict rakes, combs (Fig. 14-1), axes, umbrellas, a cradle, “wolf teeth” - a detail of a weaving workbench in Podolia, boats, boots, a violin, a reel. The motif “Rakes and combs” is a protective sign from evil forces, from death. Rake with points - protection from storms.
With the advent of Christianity, Easter eggs with religious themes appeared. The most common Easter eggs are those with a cross, although the cross is an ancient sign of the Sun. Most often, a four-rayed equilateral cross with thickenings at the ends is drawn. There are Easter eggs “shroud”, “church”, “ringing”, “priest’s vestments”, “God’s hand”, “Sunday”, etc.

Symbolism of flowers.
Red - joy, life, hope, love, for young people - hope for a wedding.
Yellow is a symbol of the Month and stars, and in the economy - the harvest.
Blue - sky, air, magical meaning - health.
Brown - represents the earth, the gifts of the fields.
Combination of several colors- family happiness, peace, love, success, etc.
Green - spring, the resurrection of nature, the wealth of flora and fauna.
White + black - a symbol of earth, fertility.

While they are bathing the egg in paint, they read the “Our Father” three times, the Easter egg “for health” - it is advisable to read it while you are writing too - so that there are no unnecessary thoughts and thoughts in your head, because what we think about, we write down on the Easter egg.

The waning moon is the right time to write Easter eggs that help solve various kinds of problems - writing off evil eyes, illnesses, failures... The main symbols on such Easter eggs are “wolf teeth”, “rakes”, “Svarga” (“swastika”, “four-legged”) with the direction "against the sun".
From new moon to full moon, Easter eggs are written on what you dream about. It is especially good on the night of the new moon. Easter eggs "for profit" - new moon or full moon. “for love” or “female” - write on the growing young moon.

Funeral Easter eggs are white and blue, they come in two types: those that are written on Trinity and sent on rafts along the river, they are written on a living egg and Easter eggs that are taken to the grave are written only on boiled paper.

“Wolf teeth” - a talisman against evil forces (written to write off karmic debts or as an obeg hung over a baby’s crib)
“ram's horns” is a pianist for prosperity, since a sheep is a nurse: it feeds and clothes
“bear paws” - a talisman “for the garden” so that wild animals do not tear up livestock
"duck feet" / "chicken feet" - for abundance

Symbolism of Easter eggs. What do the patterns on Easter eggs mean? We all already know that Easter eggs are encrypted messages. Let's try to read together what our Slavic ancestors wrote on Easter eggs to each other.

The most ancient motifs that are found on pottery and ceramic pysanky are lines, circles, crosses, rhombuses, squares, and dots. One of the oldest motifs is considered to be a rhombic meander pattern, which was a symbol of the mammoth-blag in late Paleotic art (displays a dentin pattern on a section of the tusk of this animal). An example of such a pattern can be seen on the found bone bracelet from the Mezen site in the Chernihiv region (18-20 thousand years before AD Fig. 1).

When choosing designs for Easter eggs, preference was given to agricultural motifs, customs and rituals of honoring the earth, heavenly bodies, and water. Easter eggs ornaments are associated with local nature and mythology. Stars, crosses, the Sun, which now generously decorate Easter eggs, have a specific meaning; among different peoples they symbolize happiness, prosperity, and good omen. The sun is drawn in the form of a circle, a swastika, a rose, a star in the form of rays, water in the form of waves.

Let's take a closer look at the symbols that are depicted on Easter eggs.

Fig. 2 – “endless” motif. Among the variety of Ukrainian Easter eggs ornaments, a special place is occupied by an unusually original element in the form of a wavy stripe. It is called “beskonechnik” and is very common in Easter eggs of the Hutsul region, Bukovina, Volyn, Kherson region, Poltava region. An analysis of the ornaments of modern Ukrainian folk art and archaeological monuments clearly shows that our modern masters inherited the wavy “endless” ornament from ancient times and that it comes from the art of the Trypillian culture - the Neolithic period. Considering that the “endless” pattern in the art monuments of Tripoli culture was widespread much earlier than it was discovered in the cultural monuments of ancient Greece, we can conclude that the Greek masters borrowed a stylized image of the sea from our ancestors as the basis for the famous meander of Hellas. This, by the way, confirms that it was the Aryan peoples, when they moved to the south, who laid the foundation for the culture of the peoples of the Mediterranean. Other names are “wave”, “snake”, “meander”, “crooked”. It symbolizes the thread of life, the eternity of solar movement. “Endless” on a pysanka has neither beginning nor end, which means that the evil that falls into the house and into this trap will not be able to get out of it and will never bother the owner of the pysanka again. Varieties of Ukrainian meander:

1, 2, 3, 4 – Hutsul region.

5 – Northern Bukovina

6 – Transcarpathia,

7 – Volyn

8 – Kherson region

9 – ancient Greek meander.

Fig 3 – “Rhombus”. It is a symbol of fertility, a general symbol of the feminine in nature.

Fig. 4 - “Square”, divided into parts with dots, was a symbol of a sown field. “Peas” - dots, symbolized a grain that should germinate, or stars in the sky, or a cuckoo’s egg - a symbol of spring. In Christianity, dots became a symbol of the tears of the Mother of God.

Rice. 5 – “Triangle”. A very interesting example of the use of the “triangle” motif is Pysanka, which is called “forty wedges” and should consist of forty-eight triangles. In ancient times, each triangle was intended to fulfill one wish. The triangle also means three dimensions, three natural phenomena - fire-water-air, thunder-water-earth, heaven-earth heat, Reality-Nav-Rule, Man-Woman-Child. In Christianity, the “forty wedges” became a symbol of the forty days of fasting, the forty martyrs, or the forty days of Jesus’ sojourn in the desert, and the triangle symbolizes the Holy Trinity.

Rice. 6. – Staircase. Symbol of searching for a better life

Rice. 7 – Sieve. A symbol of the separation of good and evil.

Rice. 8 – Wheel, circle. This is a symbol of immortality, which manifests itself in nature through the continuous repetition of cycles of rebirth of life.

Rice. 9 – Symbols of the Sun. The most widespread and diverse group of signs are solar, ancient cosmogonic signs that depict celestial bodies, primarily the Sun. The sun is an eternal source of heat, the greatest force that defeats the cold of winter and returns spring awakening to all living things. The movement of the Sun is depicted in spirals (Fig. 9-1). This sign appeared on altars 10 thousand years ago. It is also a sign of fertility. In the ideas of our ancestors, the spiral was a sign of the Universe, and on earth it was a sign of a snake that lived near water and was its guardian. The sun is depicted by various signs (Fig. 9-2) Very often the Sun is depicted in the form of a rose (Fig. 9-3) A rose can be “full”, “empty”, “mangy”, “protruding”, “lateral”, “truncated” , “palpataya”, etc. Another sign of the highest deity of our ancestors was the swastika (Fig. 9-4). Other names for this sign are “four-legged”, “svarga”, “broken cross”. The swastika is a symbol of holy fire, a sign of protection from evil spirits, a symbol of the Universe, a sign of the four cardinal directions, four winds, and four seasons. If the swastikas are rounded, then they are called “ram horns”, “spiders”, “steep horns”, “goose necks”, “rams”.

The swastika is found on the ancient monuments of all Indo-European peoples. It was found among the Mongolian peoples, the Phoenicians, Etruscans, Finns, the Gauls and Germans, and the Romans in the 3rd century AD. This is a favorite symbol of the ancient Aryans.

A variation of the swastika is the “tricorn” (Fig. 9-5). The three hooks of the “tricorn” are located at an angle of 120 degrees. Other names for this sign are “tripod”, “triquetra”, “rue”, “walnut leaf”, “spiders”, “steepers”. This sign is known from the Trypillian culture and, like the triangle, symbolizes some kind of trinity.

The cross was found as decoration on clay vessels on the islands of the Aegean Sea (10th century BC). The most common is the “Greek cross” - four equal ends. (Fig. 9-6), sometimes “Latin” - with an elongated lower end. (Fig. 9-7)

Fig. 10. Another ancient symbol that is used on Easter eggs is the Bereginya Goddess - a symbol of life and fertility, the mother of all living things. She is depicted as a full-length woman with her arms raised up. She is depicted surrounded by flowering vegetation, fish, and stars. Often she holds a tree branch in one hand and the radiant Sun in the other.

Rice. 11. Tree of Life. One of the most popular plant motifs is a flowering plant in a flowerpot, or a tree, which symbolizes life. The Tree of Life embodies the past, present and future (Nav, Rule, Reality). The symmetry of the World Tree of Life meant the establishment of connections between parts of the world, in the heavenly, earthly and underground spheres, and the destruction of chaos.

Rice. 12. Plant motifs. They were widely used on Easter eggs. Plants were depicted completely, or their parts (leaves, flowers, branches). The oak (Fig. 12-1) and viburnum (Fig. 12-2) leaves symbolized enormous strength and undying beauty.

Oak is a sacred tree, the embodiment of Perun, the god of solar male energy, development, and life.

Viburnum is a tree of our Ukrainian family. Once upon a time, in ancient times, she personified the rebirth of the Universe, the fiery trinity - the Sun, the Moon and the Star. That’s why its name comes from the ancient name of the Sun – Kolo. Viburnum berries have become a symbol of blood and the undying Family.

Cherry is a symbol of girlish beauty and helps to attract love.

On Hutsul Easter eggs you can often see a stylized branch of smereka (Fig. 12-3) - a symbol of eternal youth and life.

The grape motif symbolized brotherhood, goodwill and true love.

An ornament of Apples and plums brought wisdom and health.

Hops symbolize the blossoming of youth and young love.

Also depicted were mallows, periwinkle, lilies of the valley, sunflowers, tulips, carnations, pine, violets, rue, wreaths of periwinkle, walnut, and leaves. (Fig. 12-4, 12-5).

Rice. 13. Animal motifs are not as popular as plant motifs, but we still see them. And this is evidence that our Slavic ancestors were vegetarians and did not eat meat. Animals occupied a much smaller place in their lives than plants. These are a rooster, crayfish, bee, fish, horses, sheep, deer, spiders, snails. Most often, pysankarkas draw them abstractly, sometimes only parts of animals: duck feet, ram horns (Fig. 13-1), chicken feet, crow's feet, ox's eye, hare's teeth, bear's feet.

The image of a horse occupies a certain place in Ukrainian everyday art. (Figure 13-2). He is associated with the cult of the Sun. The sacred horse moved the Sun across the sky.

Fish (Fig. 13-3) is a symbol of health, a sign of water, fertility, an ancient Ukrainian symbol of life and death. The other world is associated with fish, the one where the souls of our ancestors go.

The deer (Fig. 13-4) represented long life and wealth, and its antlers were associated with the rays of the rising Sun.

Birds (Figure 13-5) were considered harbingers of spring

The bee symbolizes the purity of the soul, the butterfly represents joy, carefree childhood, the transition of the soul to an eternal happy life.

The spider is a symbol of perseverance and patience.

Fig. 14. Another interesting group of Easter eggs - Easter eggs with everyday motifs in the ornament. Such Easter eggs depict rakes, combs (Fig. 14-1), axes, umbrellas, a cradle, “wolf teeth” - a detail of a weaving workbench in Podolia, boats, boots, a violin, a reel. The motif “Rakes and combs” is a protective sign from evil forces, from death. Rake with points - protection from storms.

With the advent of Christianity, Easter eggs with religious themes appeared. The most common Easter eggs are those with a cross, although the cross is an ancient sign of the Sun. Most often, a four-rayed equilateral cross with thickenings at the ends is drawn. There are Easter eggs “shroud”, “church”, “ringing”, “priest’s vestments”, “God’s hand”, “Sunday”, etc.

Symbolism of flowers.

Red - joy, life, hope, love, for young people - hope for a wedding.

Yellow is a symbol of the Month and stars, and in the economy - the harvest.

Blue – sky, air, magical meaning – health.

Bronzovka - personifies the earth, the gifts of the fields.

The combination of several colors - family happiness, peace, love, success, etc.

Green – spring, the resurrection of nature, the richness of flora and fauna.

White + black – symbol of earth, fertility.

Creation

Easter eggs with SLAVIC SYMBOLS.

Pysanky are raw eggs onto which a most skilful pattern is applied, after which the contents of the egg are poured out, and then an empty, marvelously beautiful egg is presented. The work is very complex and requires extreme accuracy and coordination of both movements and mental processes.
Krashenki are boiled eggs, they can be plain or painted, they are easier to make...
Paints
Natural, food or aniline dyes are used to dye eggs. The raw materials for producing plant dyes can be flowers, leaves, grain husks, bark, roots, and berries.
yellow paint of various shades is extracted from the bark of a young wild apple tree, poplar shoots, birch leaves, nettle root, buckwheat chaff, onion peels, flowers of wild elderberry, chamomile, milkweed, adonis, kupavka, saffron, crocus, St. John's wort, yellow flowers of the bulbous plant dream;
blue, blue or purple - from the husks of black sunflower grains, poplar catkins, mallow flowers, blue flowers of the dream plant, snowdrops, blueberries and elderberries;
green - from a combination of yellow and blue paints, as well as from moss, buckthorn bark, ash, lily of the valley leaves, primrose, nettle, green rye and wheat;
red - from sandalwood chips, bird cherry berries, flowers and seeds of St. John's wort, as well as from dried females of the Polish cochineal (an insect from the scale insect family); pale pink - from flowers of fireweed angustifolia;
brown - from the bark of apple, oak, buckthorn, fir cones, onion peels, walnut or horse chestnut leaves;
black - from young leaves of black maple, alder bark, blue sandalwood.
It is best to harvest the roots in early spring or late autumn, the bark only in the spring, when the tree is "crying", flowers - at the beginning of flowering, and the leaves - when they are very young. To prevent the potion from losing its color, it should be dried only in the shade, and stored in a tightly closed container in a dry, dark place. Coloring berries can be frozen.
To prepare paints you will also need: clay or enamel dishes, melt or rain water, potassium alum. Fill the raw material with cold water, leave for 5-6 hours, and then boil over low heat: bark for three hours, leaves for about forty minutes, flowers for half an hour. For 100 grams of dry raw materials - 1 liter of melt water. Strain the broth and add a teaspoon of alum. The paint is ready. Dyeing eggs with natural dyes lasts from 10 minutes to 14 hours. This is a painstaking task, but it is redeemed by the healing properties of natural colors. In addition, they are stronger, more familiar, more pleasing to the eye, more delicate and look a hundred times richer than any artificial dyes.
Making dyes (pysanky) using modern food dyes.
We need the following items:
- food colorings. Dyes are needed in which they are not boiled, but rather 9% vinegar is added and the already boiled eggs are kept for some time.
- candle. Wax is better, but paraffin or steoric are also suitable
- scribbler. If you don’t know what a scribbler is, then don’t need it - two brushes can completely replace it - a one and a four (this is the thickness in mm).
- two rags. On one we will safely drip wax, paint, matches and dirty it in every possible way, and the other must be clean - we will use it to wipe the paint off the eggs.
- jars for dyes. You need to put a spoon in each jar so that the jar does not burst when boiling water is poured into it (according to the instructions on the pack of dyes).
- 9% vinegar. For successfully fixing paint on eggs.

Of course, you can replace the items that I have listed with equivalent and more convenient ones. For example, a scribbler can be used to create very fine outlines, while a brush can mainly be used to paint large areas.

The master's hands must be perfectly clean and not greasy. Boiled eggs need to be cooled. It is important that they are not hot, otherwise the wax will drain from them. To prevent eggs from bursting when boiling, add salt to the water.
Dyes diluted according to instructions should also not be hot. Do not remove the spoons from the jars after the dyes have already been diluted. We will use them to neatly place and remove eggs from jars. There should be enough dye to cover the egg dipped in it.
Take an egg in your hands and use a sharp pencil to draw a very fine design. Of course, you don’t have to do this, but don’t be surprised later, when you finish the work, why the star you wanted to depict looks like a crooked fence, and the diamond looks like a half-eaten bun.

The surface of the egg is difficult because it is not flat and of course you have to get used to making a beautiful sketch. You can’t wash anything in this case - there will be streaks and stains.

Now select the outline that should remain white and take the brush in your hands. Light a candle, and when the wax is hot, carefully dip the brush into the wax. The brush may get a little scorched - that's okay, the main thing is not to deprive it of any hairs - that's what we'll use to apply the wax to the egg. Bring the egg closer to the candle and now apply wax to the selected contour with confident and quick movements. The wax cools very quickly, so find a point closer to the fire!

When the outline is ready, carefully, so as not to break it, lower the egg into the dye. For example, in green. Let the egg sit there for a minute. The intensity of the color depends on the time - take it out early - the egg will be light green. Later - more intense.

It's time to take it out - place the egg on a clean, dry cloth and wipe it off. Now we take the brush in our hands again and apply a new contour. We already have a white pattern on the green background, and now we will keep the green outline. After applying the wax, dip the egg in a different color. For example red.

The dyes we offer are good because they cover the previous color. That is, in our case, the green will remain only under the wax, and the egg itself will become a wonderful red color, and not a mixture of red and green. And so on - until you consider the drawing complete. Dip in different colors, apply new contours. But don't get too carried away. At first, it is better not to use more than 4 colors. Otherwise, you risk getting a grey-brown-crimson egg!
Now the egg is almost ready. All that remains is to remove the wax. You probably need another clean rag. Well, or you can take the first one if it is not very dirty. Bring the egg close to the fire, from the side (if on top, soot may appear), so that the flame licks the egg and the wax begins to drain. Now quickly wipe the heated area with a cloth. Back to the fire - the wax has flowed - wipe the barrel again with a rag. And so on until the egg is completely wax-free.

You can view the technology in more detail here.

QUICK COMMENTS (3)
By the way:
Yes, coloring eggs is a very ancient Slavic custom. By the way, in ancient Jewish communities eggs were not painted...
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
PYSANKA-KRASHENKA
There is an ancient custom of painting Easter eggs, Easter eggs, the essence is that a chicken egg (a symbol of life) is painted using a certain technique.

Pysanka-amulet

Easter eggs with hemlines
They became amulets,
The dream is written in them,
Evil is knocked down by Easter eggs.

Pysanky have hundreds of symbols and amulets. They will protect from black anger and Envy, from blood and separation, from disease and hunger...
There is, perhaps, not a single good wish that could not be expressed by drawing Easter eggs.
Symbolism of the picture:
Swallows - the arrival of spring;
Spiral-sign of life (given to elderly people);
Green hearts - the heat of love (girls gave to boys);
Rushnichok - for a daughter to get married successfully;
Apple, flowers - for the birth of a girl;
Cockscomb - protection from misfortune...

Symbolism of color
Red is the color of fire, joy.
Yellow - dedicated to the sun.
Black is the color of the earth.
Brown - the fertility of the earth.

Children until adulthood were given only red or green Easter eggs. The young soul must first become stronger and gain strength.
Get your whole family together for the holiday. Give Easter eggs to your loved ones with good wishes.

EGG-PYSANKA
Painting an egg is an ancient custom that goes back to the deepest centuries of the ancient Slavs. The pysanka was not drawn or painted, but written on a raw chicken egg.
According to legend, Easter eggs are stars born of Lada the Mother of God. Once a year, a Slavic woman had the great honor of presenting the Mother of God on earth.
On Thursday, in the pre-dawn hour, she brought the magic spinning wheel to the doorstep and spun the thread, during the day she bathed the children, baked bread, and then simmered the paints for the Easter eggs in a warm oven. She took water for paints into a tritray in the evening from seven springs. She carried her home silently, in secret. This untouched living water was poured over dried herbs, flower petals, and the bark of a young wild apple tree and placed in the oven for a couple of hours. While the paint was being prepared, an appeal to the Gods was written on a raw chicken egg with hot wax.
Eggs for Easter eggs were only suitable for those that were laid between two lunar months. Real Velikodenskaya pysanka retained its vitality for a whole week: it did not rot or dry out.
Easter eggs were supposed to be painted with the first strike of the bell. First, the egg was dipped in yellow “apple tree” paint and kept in it for some time while hymns addressed to the Gods were read. Each color of the pattern was protected with wax. By the end of the work, the eggs turned into black, gloomy buns. They were lowered
in hot water or brought to the fire. The wax melted and a pysanka was born, just as the sun is born from the darkness of the night.
Easter eggs were placed with a whisk around the Easter cake - for the Gods and Ancestors, on a dish with a mirror surface - for people, and painted eggs on sprouted oats - for parents.

The first pysanka was made for the Gods and Ancestors (in this case, pysanka can be made from a wooden egg).

The second is for parents.

The third pysanka is an invocation of Spring.

The fourth pysanka is a pattern for wealth and prosperity in the Family.

It was impossible to sell pysanka; to bestow it was to show an honor.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:
The art of Easter eggs is a ritual art, which is why it is beautiful. The technique of painting a chicken egg using wax and paints is extremely simple. Success largely depends on the perfection of the instrument and the correct positioning of the writing hand. Cooking Easter eggs is a holiday in itself. During painting, the egg gradually turns from white to black, but as soon as it is brought to the fire, the wax on the shell begins to melt, revealing a delightful play of color and lines. The sudden appearance of a pattern of black makes you smile: the feeling of delight is so strong that, wanting to experience it again and again, a person involuntarily starts working on the second, third, fourth pysanka...
Easter eggs have their own strict logic. Knowing the laws of writing, understanding the content of the tradition, having before your eyes classic examples of patterns, you can create your own, unique Easter egg.
The ritual veneration of Easter eggs is associated with the veneration of Lada - the Goddess of love, beauty, and Wedding. This wonderful painted egg was originally created as a talisman of the Family, an emblem of matchmaking, a magical Kolyada Gift, providing a connection between times and generations.
The tradition of pysanka belongs to the Slavs; the art of ritual painting of a chicken egg in science is considered to be primitive, peasant, a purely feminine activity, associated with the magic of fertility...
In the old days, it was believed that only first-born, certainly fertilized, eggs of young hens, laid on the first spring new moon, were suitable for making Easter eggs. In addition to eggs, they needed pure beeswax, raw water, live fire, new brushes for wax painting, new napkins, new clay pots, and a potion for extracting paints.
Unfinished, "silent" water was supposed to be taken before dawn, silently, secretly, from seven, or even nine sources, or where three streams merge into one; it was necessary to scoop with new dishes, along the current. It was lucky to get water from the March snow.
The dye potion was laid out in pots, filled with water, infused for several hours, and then placed in a warm oven for another two to three hours.
Making tassels was the job of the housewife herself. Most often, the brush was a bird feather, a straw broken in two, or a rooster's fork bone. Later it was a tube, secured with tow, thread or thin wire on a wooden holder - birch or thorn. No one except the craftswoman herself dared to touch the objects involved in the preparation of Easter eggs.
The preparation of Easter eggs began when all the underground springs and wells were opened, the ice on the river collapsed and the bee woke up. It was believed that earthly water unlocks heavenly water... On this day it was customary to bake special bread with swastika symbols and paint Easter eggs for the bee.
On the same day, people baked baked goods for the Holiday... The house smelled of fresh bread, infusions of herbs - meadows, forests, honey, a blooming garden... The craftswoman sat by the stove and, dipping a brush into melted wax, drew mysterious signs on the eggshells . Her soul was full of kind and bright feelings, best wishes to her family and friends - to all those for whom the Easter eggs were intended.
The dyeing of wax-painted eggs began with the first clap of thunder or bell. Having dipped the egg in yellow paint, “apple tree,” made from the bark of a wild young apple tree, the woman whispered the spell three times. She painted the eggs painted yellow again with wax, thus protecting the parts of the pattern that should be yellow, then continued painting, but with red paint, and covered with wax this time those parts of the pattern that should be red, after which immersed the eggs in black paint made from kvass, alder bark and rusty iron. The black paint took two weeks to prepare, and the eggs were kept in it for fourteen hours.
After dyeing, having melted the wax on the eggs (possibly over a candle, in the oven, in hot water), the craftswoman carefully wiped the finished Easter eggs with a brand new linen napkin. The wax letter was transferred to the canvas, and the napkin acquired the miraculous power of a talisman.
Easter eggs were intended only for giving. The sloppily painted egg had no divine power. Such an offering was considered an insult. It was not allowed to give Easter eggs to those who led a nomadic lifestyle; Easter eggs were not given to those with whom the family did not want to be related. It was impossible to remember the dead with pysanky. For breaking the fast and commemorating the dead, for ritual games of “cue ball” and “skating rink”, paints were used. Krashenka is a boiled egg, pysanka is definitely raw. A broken pysanka threatened drought. If a pysanka happened to be broken, the shell should be immediately crushed and buried in the ground or thrown into the water.

By the way, the Easter cake that Christians now bake for Easter was called BABA.

Pysanka by craftswoman Maria Minsitova (Barnaul)
04/18/2010 Creativity

Craftswoman Maria Minsitova comes from the city of Barnaul, Altai Territory. Master of making Slavic Easter eggs, ritual and ethnographic dolls.
Types of creativity: Painting, Miscellaneous, Souvenirs, gifts, Toys, Decor, Embroidery, Russian style

In the old days, every Slavic woman knew how to turn an ordinary chicken egg into a magical rejuvenating apple - pysanka. The keeper of the hearth was supposed to “renew the world” from year to year. For this holy task, in addition to eggs, she needed: plenty of water, plenty of fire, new pots, a new linen napkin, beeswax, a candle, paints, a fork-bone broken in two, taken from a rooster’s breast. The owner of the house produced endless fire, and the hostess took endless water at midnight from seven springs. Dyes were extracted from flower petals, bark, roots and leaves of trees. The craftswomen did not invent the pattern, but copied it from last year’s Easter eggs. And no one except the hostess herself had the right to even touch the items involved in the preparation of Easter eggs.
This is how our distant ancestors and our great-grandmothers wrote Easter eggs. This tradition dates back about 8 thousand years. Of course, over time, the rules for writing Easter eggs have become simpler. The water is simple, boiled, the scribbler is specially made in the form of a small metal funnel, and the paints are taken both “from God and from people.” But the tradition went through all the difficulties and was able to survive. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, unique collections of folk Easter eggs were collected bit by bit (however, many collections were lost during the war). Also, collections of famous Russian craftswomen are now being restored literally according to the description of Easter eggs.
Many people, seeing a pysanka, mistake it for either a painted wooden egg or Easter paint. With the advent of Christianity in Rus', pysanka became an Easter egg. The craftswoman began a new cycle of writing on Maundy Thursday. But Pysanka is distinguished from Easter eggs by the fact that the egg is raw, the magical signs in the ornament, the wax method of applying patterns, and the visible movement in the design. Its ornaments are sacred writings: prayers, carols, God's laws, which are thousands of years old. Once upon a time in Rus' there were guardians who made amulets. Pysanka is one of these amulets. There was the same respect for her as there is now for the icon and the cross.
Easter eggs were written and given to loved ones, children, and relatives. In the spring, the owner of the house placed two Easter eggs under the main hive so that they would protect the bees, and so that the year would be fertile, the Easter egg was buried in the field before plowing it, and the Easter egg was rolled over the bodies of animals when they were taken out to pasture for the first time. Girls gave guys a scarf with Easter eggs, and if a guy liked a girl, he took the Easter eggs for himself and filled the scarf with treats and gifts. Women suffering from infertility gave Easter eggs to children in the hope that the Lord would send them a child.
Pysanka is a symbol of the world, its structure, a symbol of rebirth, a symbol of life, spring, love. And all this is expressed in the patterns of Easter eggs. These patterns arose even before Christianity, when people revered nature and were under its power. In the depths of centuries, our ancestors celebrated the great spring holiday of the awakening of nature after a long winter sleep, the victory of good over evil, light and warmth over darkness.
It turns out that the tradition of decorating eggs is more ancient than the Christian Easter custom. During excavations near Novgorod, a painted egg was found, and spectral analysis showed that its age is more than five thousand years. I was told about this in the workshop of women's crafts "Desyatiruchka" in the village of Cheposh, Chemal region, where today caring people are engaged in the revival of the traditions of Russian culture and the revival of the art of painting Slavic Easter eggs.
Painting on an egg shell is a complex composition of symbols, signs and color combinations, which carries a certain sacred meaning. This is the ritual tradition of the Slavic pysanka.
Only a raw egg is suitable for pysanka. In our everyday life, such painting has not been preserved, but in Ukraine the tradition of pysanka is still alive. In the Carpathian region there is the world's only museum of Easter eggs, and in Hutsul families (a Rusyn tribe in the Carpathians), the skill of making Easter eggs is still passed down from generation to generation. Hutsuls believe that coloring Easter eggs brings harmony to the world and prevents the end of the world. There is also such a legend in the Hutsul region: Satan-Herod, chained in hell, asks every dead sinner who ends up in hell: “Are Easter eggs still written? Is there still a Great Day in the world?” It is believed that if people stop coloring eggs for Easter and honoring Easter holidays, Satan will break free from his chains and the end of the world will come.
In former times, Easter eggs were present in a person’s life from birth to death. When a woman was expecting a child, she would prepare pysanka and put it in the cradle so that evil spirits would not settle in it. Eggs were painted throughout the year - when the arable land was plowed, a pysanka depicting symbols of fertility was placed on the ground. There were healing Easter eggs. According to Christian custom, they were consecrated in the church on Easter and kept in the shrine all year.
The pysanky were not thrown into the trash; they were treated very carefully. If something happened to them, for example, they broke or a crack appeared, they were buried in the ground, burned or floated on water.
Those who paint eggs with Slavic pysanka are called pysancharki, and a real craftswoman paints right away, without drawing preliminary outlines.
Among the obligatory moments that have passed through millennia is the ritual of preparing paints. Early in the morning on Maundy Thursday, a woman left the house and collected water from seven springs, and painted on it. She cleaned the house, washed the children, put them to bed and sat down to write Easter eggs.
I wrote for each family member, for a relative, with wishes for something good. Pysanka with the image of cancer - to attract prosperity and wealth. Flowers - for a woman who wanted to have children, Christmas trees - for health, stars - for good luck. For children, Easter eggs were painted with a pattern of yellow-green tones. It was impossible to deviate from these symbols, passed down from generation to generation. All the symbols that a person came up with himself were no longer Easter eggs. It was called a malevka or malyavinka, and such an egg did not carry any power. Previously, natural swan, goose, duck, chicken, pigeon and even robin eggs (about one and a half centimeters in diameter) were dyed. They were covered with gold and then painted with bright colors, ornamental and floral patterns. This is how eggs-gifts appeared for especially important dignitaries and for members of the royal family of the court jeweler Carl Faberge.

Symbolism of Slavic Easter eggs

I dare to describe the interpretation of symbols using the works of: A. Golan, J. Cooper, B. A. Rybakov.

Cosmic symbolism - microcosm. the diamond-shaped equator of the egg, symbolizing the earth, the spherical surface of the sky running above them, a spiral pattern applied along it - the path of the rising and setting sun.

Stars are a sign of philanthropy, moral purity, a symbol of Peace and balance, harmony. Emblem of Wisdom

The Sun is a symbol of the highest cosmic power, the All-Seeing Deity, the eye of the world and the eye of the day, the center of being and intuitive knowledge (solar birds and animals: eagle, hawk, swan, phoenix, rooster, lion, ram, white or golden horse.)

Rain, water - a bunch of zigzags, a meander (wavy line) - signs of cleansing heavenly water, an Easter egg with such signs was kept from damage, the evil eye, and envy.

Ram horns are cosmic power, a symbol of fire and the sun (prosperity, wealth).

Flowers, trees, birds, bees, horses, cows, deer are symbols that give a happy life in the family and in the world.

Flowers are signs of readiness for fertility, for childbirth.

Bees are a symbol of immortality, rebirth, hard work, order, and purity of soul. Winged messengers who bring secret wisdom.

The moth represents joy, the transition of the soul to an eternal happy life. He is a guardian angel.

The rooster is a solar bird, an attribute of the solar gods. The bird of glory, meaning excellence, courage, vigilance, dawn, personifies fighting spirit, military courage.

The sieve is a symbol of the separation of good from evil (protection).

Infinity - has neither beginning nor end, and the evil that enters the house falls into a trap and will not harm the owner. This is a symbol of the non-stop course of life, procreation. They also kept the eyes in the house from damage. Easter eggs with infinity were used in a ritual action: the beekeeper placed an egg under the hive so that the bees would endlessly swarm and bring honey.

The spiral is a single code of the world, laid down by Mother Nature in the foundation of all living and non-living things. The spiral is the unity of the Macrocosmos (Universe) and Microcosmos (man). The spiral has the same symbolism as the labyrinth.

The labyrinth is a return to the center, to the source, a newly found paradise, the achievement of realization after torment, testing and testing, initiation, the mysteries of life and death.

Pine - vitality, fertility, strength of character, ever green - symbolizes immortality, health.

Pine cone is a phallic symbol, fertility, good inheritance (productive, creative power).

A palm tree branch was used to signify health; Easter eggs with pussy willows were used to roll over livestock so that they would not get sick and would not be subject to the evil eye. Verbochka has a direct connection with the ancient ritual of the Slavs<<вербохлёст>>, which symbolizes the transfer to man of the natural forces of earth, water, and sun. On Palm Sunday, people were whipped with willow and animals were sentenced:<<не я бью, верба бьёт, хворь берёт здоровье даёт>>, for the person they also added:<<будь богатым, как земля и здоровым, как вода>>.

Oak leaves - for strength (if the pysanka is for children, for a boy)

Magpie symbolizes good luck and is considered<<птицей удовольствия>>. A chattering magpie brings good news.

The belt symbolizes the road and protects people from disunity and quarrels. The belt also protects the egg itself.

Flowerpots - (a flower, a tree in a vase) represent the Tree of Life - the axis of the world. The Tree of Life grows in paradise and means restoration, a return to original perfection. This is the cosmic axis, symbolizing unity beyond good and evil. According to the legends of many peoples, the World Tree was thought of as the incarnation of the Great Goddess - apparently because she was considered the mistress of not only the sky, but also of all nature. The motive of determining the destinies of people is associated with the world tree.

The goddess Bereginya is a symbol of life and its continuation. A talisman of all living things that give birth to life, requiring care and protection from harm and death. She - Bereginya is depicted as a woman (sometimes stylized, simplified) in full height with her hands raised to the sky (asking), sometimes lowered (giving). The image of Bereginya can be found in different patterns of the Woman in Birth and, if you look closely, the Family is a sign of the unity of the masculine and feminine principles on earth.

Triangle - The triune nature of the universe: Heaven, Earth, Man: father, mother, child.

God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, man as body, soul, spirit. The Order of the World, houses, the Mystical number three, the first three of flat figures. The triangle, with its apex facing upward, is solar and has the symbolism of the life of fire, the masculine principle, the lingam, the spiritual world, this is the trinity of love, truth, wisdom. A triangle facing downwards is lunar and has symbolism of the feminine principle, uterus, water, nature, body. They symbolize the Great Mother as a parent.

The circle is a symbol of wishes, the search for a better life, the ring is a symbol of motherhood and knowledge, childbirth.

The path is a symbol of perpetual motion, a belt.
The symbolism of Easter eggs can be read not only by the ornament, but by the color combination.

Red - symbolizes a strong, bright, joyful life
Green - for development, health
Yellow - the color of knowledge, wisdom
White - Divine color of purity, connecting all colors
Black - unknown, unknown, cosmic
Bardo (brown) - the color of earth, strength
Purple is the color of cosmic knowledge.

Pysanky are raw eggs onto which a most skilful pattern is applied, after which the contents of the egg are poured out, and then an empty, marvelously beautiful egg is presented. The work is very complex and requires extreme accuracy and coordination of both movements and mental processes.
Krashenki are boiled eggs, they can be plain or painted, they are easier to make...
Paints
Natural, food or aniline dyes are used to dye eggs. The raw materials for producing plant dyes can be flowers, leaves, grain husks, bark, roots, and berries.
yellow paint of various shades is extracted from the bark of a young wild apple tree, poplar shoots, birch leaves, nettle root, buckwheat chaff, onion peels, flowers of wild elderberry, chamomile, milkweed, adonis, kupavka, saffron, crocus, St. John's wort, yellow flowers of the bulbous plant dream;
blue, blue or purple - from the husks of black sunflower grains, poplar catkins, mallow flowers, blue flowers of the dream plant, snowdrops, blueberries and elderberries;
green - from a combination of yellow and blue paints, as well as from moss, buckthorn bark, ash, lily of the valley leaves, primrose, nettle, green rye and wheat;
red - from sandalwood chips, bird cherry berries, flowers and seeds of St. John's wort, as well as from dried females of the Polish cochineal (an insect from the scale insect family); pale pink - from flowers of fireweed angustifolia;
brown - from the bark of apple, oak, buckthorn, fir cones, onion peels, walnut or horse chestnut leaves;
black - from young leaves of black maple, alder bark, blue sandalwood.
It is best to harvest the roots in early spring or late autumn, the bark only in the spring, when the tree is “crying,” the flowers at the beginning of flowering, and the leaves when they are very young. To prevent the potion from losing its color, it should be dried only in the shade, and stored in a tightly closed container in a dry, dark place. Coloring berries can be frozen.
To prepare paints you will also need: clay or enamel dishes, melt or rain water, potassium alum. Fill the raw material with cold water, leave for 5-6 hours, and then boil over low heat: bark for three hours, leaves for about forty minutes, flowers for half an hour. For 100 grams of dry raw materials - 1 liter of melt water. Strain the broth and add a teaspoon of alum. The paint is ready. Dyeing eggs with natural dyes lasts from 10 minutes to 14 hours. This is a painstaking task, but it is redeemed by the healing properties of natural colors. In addition, they are stronger, more familiar, more pleasing to the eye, more delicate and look a hundred times richer than any artificial dyes.
Making dyes (pysanky) using modern food dyes.
We need the following items:
- food colorings. Dyes are needed in which they are not boiled, but rather 9% vinegar is added and the already boiled eggs are kept for some time.
- candle. Wax is better, but paraffin or steoric are also suitable
- scribbler. If you don’t know what a scribbler is, then don’t need it - two brushes can completely replace it - a one and a four (this is the thickness in mm).
- two rags. On one we will safely drip wax, paint, matches and dirty it in every possible way, and the other must be clean - we will use it to wipe the paint off the eggs.
- jars for dyes. You need to put a spoon in each jar so that the jar does not burst when boiling water is poured into it (according to the instructions on the pack of dyes).
- 9% vinegar. For successfully fixing paint on eggs.

Of course, you can replace the items that I have listed with equivalent and more convenient ones. For example, a scribbler can be used to create very fine outlines, while a brush can mainly be used to paint large areas.

The master's hands must be perfectly clean and not greasy. Boiled eggs need to be cooled. It is important that they are not hot, otherwise the wax will drain from them. To prevent eggs from bursting when boiling, add salt to the water.
Dyes diluted according to instructions should also not be hot. Do not remove the spoons from the jars after the dyes have already been diluted. We will use them to neatly place and remove eggs from jars. There should be enough dye to cover the egg dipped in it.
Take an egg in your hands and use a sharp pencil to draw a very fine design. Of course, you don’t have to do this, but don’t be surprised later, when you finish the work, why the star you wanted to depict looks like a crooked fence, and the diamond looks like a half-eaten bun.

The surface of the egg is difficult because it is not flat and of course you have to get used to making a beautiful sketch. You can’t wash anything in this case - there will be streaks and stains.

Now select the outline that should remain white and take the brush in your hands. Light a candle, and when the wax is hot, carefully dip the brush into the wax. The brush may get a little scorched - that's okay, the main thing is not to deprive it of any hairs - that's what we'll use to apply the wax to the egg. Bring the egg closer to the candle and now apply wax to the selected contour with confident and quick movements. The wax cools very quickly, so find a point closer to the fire!

When the outline is ready, carefully, so as not to break it, lower the egg into the dye. For example, in green. Let the egg sit there for a minute. The intensity of the color depends on the time - take it out early - the egg will be light green. Later - more intense.

It's time to take it out - place the egg on a clean, dry cloth and wipe it off. Now we take the brush in our hands again and apply a new contour. We already have a white pattern on the green background, and now we will keep the green outline. After applying the wax, dip the egg in a different color. For example red.

The dyes we offer are good because they cover the previous color. That is, in our case, the green will remain only under the wax, and the egg itself will become a wonderful red color, and not a mixture of red and green. And so on - until you consider the drawing complete. Dip in different colors, apply new contours. But don't get too carried away. At first, it is better not to use more than 4 colors. Otherwise, you risk getting a grey-brown-crimson egg!
Now the egg is almost ready. All that remains is to remove the wax. You probably need another clean rag. Well, or you can take the first one if it is not very dirty. Bring the egg close to the fire, from the side (if on top, soot may appear), so that the flame licks the egg and the wax begins to drain. Now quickly wipe the heated area with a cloth. Back to the fire - the wax has flowed - wipe the barrel again with a rag. And so on until the egg is completely wax-free.

The art of Easter eggs is a ritual art, which is why it is beautiful. The technique of painting a chicken egg using wax and paints is extremely simple. Success largely depends on the perfection of the instrument and the correct positioning of the writing hand. Cooking Easter eggs is a holiday in itself. During painting, the egg gradually turns from white to black, but as soon as it is brought to the fire, the wax on the shell begins to melt, revealing a delightful play of color and lines. The sudden appearance of a pattern of black makes you smile: the feeling of delight is so strong that, wanting to experience it again and again, a person involuntarily starts working on the second, third, fourth pysanka...
Easter eggs have their own strict logic. Knowing the laws of writing, understanding the content of the tradition, having before your eyes classic examples of patterns, you can create your own, unique Easter egg.
The ritual veneration of Easter eggs is associated with the veneration of Lada - the Goddess of love, beauty, and Wedding. This wonderful painted egg was originally created as a talisman of the Family, an emblem of matchmaking, a magical Kolyada Gift, providing a connection between times and generations.
The tradition of pysanka belongs to the Slavs; the art of ritual painting of a chicken egg in science is considered to be primitive, peasant, a purely feminine activity, associated with the magic of fertility...
In the old days, it was believed that only first-born, certainly fertilized, eggs of young hens, laid on the first spring new moon, were suitable for making Easter eggs. In addition to eggs, they needed pure beeswax, raw water, live fire, new brushes for wax painting, new napkins, new clay pots, and a potion for extracting paints.
Unfinished, “silent” water was supposed to be taken before dawn, silently, secretly, from seven, or even nine sources, or where three streams merge into one; it was necessary to scoop with new dishes, along the current. It was lucky to get water from the March snow.
The dye potion was laid out in pots, filled with water, infused for several hours, and then placed in a warm oven for another two to three hours.
Making tassels was the job of the housewife herself. Most often, the brush was a bird feather, a straw broken in two, or a rooster's fork bone. Later it was a tube, secured with tow, thread or thin wire on a wooden holder - birch or thorn. No one except the craftswoman herself dared to touch the objects involved in the preparation of Easter eggs.
The preparation of Easter eggs began when all the underground springs and wells were opened, the ice on the river collapsed and the bee woke up. It was believed that earthly water unlocks heavenly water... On this day it was customary to bake special bread with swastika symbols and paint Easter eggs for the bee.
On the same day, people baked baked goods for the Holiday... The house smelled of fresh bread, infusions of herbs - meadows, forests, honey, a blooming garden... The craftswoman sat by the stove and, dipping a brush into melted wax, drew mysterious signs on the eggshells . Her soul was full of kind and bright feelings, best wishes to her family and friends - to all those for whom the Easter eggs were intended.
The dyeing of wax-painted eggs began with the first clap of thunder or bell. Having dipped the egg in yellow paint, “apple tree,” made from the bark of a wild young apple tree, the woman whispered the spell three times. She painted the eggs painted yellow again with wax, thus protecting the parts of the pattern that should be yellow, then continued painting, but with red paint, and covered with wax this time those parts of the pattern that should be red, after which immersed the eggs in black paint made from kvass, alder bark and rusty iron. The black paint took two weeks to prepare, and the eggs were kept in it for fourteen hours.
After dyeing, having melted the wax on the eggs (possibly over a candle, in the oven, in hot water), the craftswoman carefully wiped the finished Easter eggs with a brand new linen napkin. The wax letter was transferred to the canvas, and the napkin acquired the miraculous power of a talisman.
Easter eggs were intended only for giving. The sloppily painted egg had no divine power. Such an offering was considered an insult. It was not allowed to give Easter eggs to those who led a nomadic lifestyle; Easter eggs were not given to those with whom the family did not want to be related. It was impossible to remember the dead with pysanky. For breaking the fast and commemorating the dead, for ritual games of “cue ball” and “skating rink”, dyes were used. Krashenka is a boiled egg, pysanka is definitely raw. A broken pysanka threatened drought. If a pysanka happened to be broken, the shell should be immediately crushed and buried in the ground or thrown into the water.

By the way, the Easter cake that Christians now bake for Easter was called BABA.

PYSANKA-KRASHENKA
There is an ancient custom of painting Easter eggs, Easter eggs, the essence is that a chicken egg (a symbol of life) is painted using a certain technique.

Pysanka-amulet

Easter eggs with hemlines
They became amulets,
The dream is written in them,
Evil is knocked down by Easter eggs.

Pysanky have hundreds of symbols and amulets. They will protect from black anger and Envy, from blood and separation, from disease and hunger...
There is, perhaps, not a single good wish that could not be expressed by drawing Easter eggs.
Symbolism of the picture:
Swallows - the arrival of spring;
Spiral-sign of life (given to elderly people);
Green hearts - the heat of love (girls gave to boys);
Rushnichok - for a daughter to get married successfully;
Apple, flowers - for the birth of a girl;
Cockscomb - protection from misfortune...

Symbolism of color
Red is the color of fire, joy.
Yellow - dedicated to the sun.
Black is the color of the earth.
Brown - the fertility of the earth.

Children until adulthood were given only red or green Easter eggs. The young soul must first become stronger and gain strength.
Get your whole family together for the holiday. Give Easter eggs to your loved ones with good wishes.

EGG-PYSANKA
Painting an egg is an ancient custom that goes back to the deepest centuries of the ancient Slavs. The pysanka was not drawn or painted, but written on a raw chicken egg.
According to legend, Easter eggs are stars born of Lada the Mother of God. Once a year, a Slavic woman had the great honor of presenting the Mother of God on earth.
On Thursday, in the pre-dawn hour, she brought the magic spinning wheel to the doorstep and spun the thread, during the day she bathed the children, baked bread, and then simmered the paints for the Easter eggs in a warm oven. She took water for paints into a tritray in the evening from seven springs. She carried her home silently, in secret. This untouched living water was poured over dried herbs, flower petals, and the bark of a young wild apple tree and placed in the oven for a couple of hours. While the paint was being prepared, an appeal to the Gods was written on a raw chicken egg with hot wax.
Eggs for Easter eggs were only suitable for those that were laid between two lunar months. Real Velikodenskaya pysanka retained its vitality for a whole week: it did not rot or dry out.
Easter eggs were supposed to be painted with the first strike of the bell. First, the egg was dipped in yellow “apple tree” paint and kept in it for some time while hymns addressed to the Gods were read. Each color of the pattern was protected with wax. By the end of the work, the eggs turned into black, gloomy buns. They were lowered
in hot water or brought to the fire. The wax melted and a pysanka was born, just as the sun is born from the darkness of the night.
Easter eggs were placed with a whisk around the Easter cake - for the Gods and Ancestors, on a dish with a mirror surface - for people, and painted eggs on sprouted oats - for parents.

The first pysanka was made for the Gods and Ancestors (in this case, pysanka can be made from a wooden egg).

The second is for parents.

The third pysanka is an invocation of Spring.

The fourth pysanka is a pattern for wealth and prosperity in the Family.

It was impossible to sell pysanka; to bestow it was to show an honor.

Everything around us has its own special meaning. And even if our ancestors were not as educated as people in modern times, their ideas about the Universe as a fragile egg are a vivid example of the ability to “get to the root”

Even our pagan ancestors attributed special magical properties to the egg. A blown raw egg with an ornament “written” on it served as a powerful amulet in pre-Christian times. Each element of the ornament necessarily corresponded to a deep design, but the entire composition ultimately represented a single harmonious whole.

With the advent of Christianity, the egg, as a symbol of regenerating life, found its place of honor in religious rites. Also, many legends later appeared explaining the semantic connection of the painted egg with the story of the Resurrection.

Meaningtion of color.

Red - joy of life, fire, solemnity, positivity.

Black - earth, otherworldly life. (Used as an element of a design or as a background on which a pattern will be applied.)

Brown - fertility, symbol of wisdom.

Yellow, orange - sunlight, rich harvest.

Blue - air, sky, wishes for health.

Green - the resurrection of nature after a long winter sleep.

The combination of black and white means respect for ancestors, holiness.

Multicolor - a wish for love and family happiness.

Meaning of symbols.

TREE

“Tree of Life” is one of the most popular ancient Slavic symbols. The reading of this symbol, along with respect for nepotism - “clan”, was a wish for longevity. Depicting a cherry, they attracted love, pine branches symbolized youth and long life. The vine motif signified fidelity. Apples and cream wishes for wisdom and health.

"BEREGINYA"

The image of a female figure with her arms raised up is a traditional pre-Christian symbol of the goddess of fertility and the foremother of all living things. From ancient times to this day, a woman is the protector of the hearth and the wise guardian of destinies.

FISH

Before the fish became one of the main Christian symbols, its image was a talisman of prosperity, as well as a metaphorical image of vitality, purity and transparency of thoughts.

RAKERS

An agricultural symbol meaning rain, fertility. With the advent of Christianity, it received an additional interpretation of the descending divine grace.

SPIDER

Such an outwardly unpleasant and even repulsive spider, thanks to the observation and wisdom of its ancestors, received a semantic meaning as a graphic symbol of hard work and perseverance, and became the patron of artistic crafts.

BUTTERFLY

A symbol of happiness, lightness and carefreeness, it was most often used to decorate Easter eggs intended to be given to children.

BEE

In addition to enormous hard work and commitment to family values, the bee also personified purity of soul and ingenuity. Pysanky with the image of a bee were hidden under hives so that the bees would “swarm” well.

POINTS

Initially, the dots, randomly scattered across the surface of the pi-sledge or forming a lace ornament, symbolized the stars in the sky. With the advent of Christianity, they began to mean the tears of the Mother of God mourning her Son.

HORSE AND DEER

Symbols of endurance and fortitude, personifying masculinity. On his branchy horns-rays, the hard worker deer carries the sun into the sky every morning. The horse is an image of fearlessness and reckless faith in goodness.

BIRDS

Birds, harbingers of spring, are a popular ornamental motif. For example, the rooster is the herald of the coming morning, praising the sunlight and protecting against the influence of evil forces. Swallow - the long-awaited arrival of spring.

SQUARE AND RHOMBUS

Four elements, four seasons, four life stages (birth, youth, maturity and old age), four cardinal directions and times of day - were successfully encrypted into the sides of the square. The mesh “square” “sieve” ornament symbolized the eternal separation of the concepts of good and evil.

SPIRAL

This symbol represented primitive ideas about the structure of the Universe. A line twisted in a spiral also meant water or a coiled snake, personifying the feminine principle. In addition, the spiral was identified with a labyrinth, which “confuses” evil forces on the way to a pure soul.

FLOWERS AND LEAVES

Wishing for an addition to the family, the pysanka was decorated with images of flowers: bells, periwinkle, lilies of the valley, carnations. Viburnum leaves meant strength, endurance, faith in justice. Oak leaves symbolized faith in the forces of nature and worship of the gods.

INFINITE

The wavy line is the predecessor of the cross-shaped symbolism. Rooted in Trypillian culture, this symbol of eternal movement and continuity of life is to this day an indispensable attribute of Pysankar art. “Me-andr” is interpreted as a symbol of water, fertility and the life cycle.

SUN

The symbol of the sun is one of the most ancient. Varieties of this symbol are octagonal stars, “broken crosses” and “steep slopes”, “running sun”. A pysanka decorated with a solar symbol protects against illness, the evil eye, misfortunes and attracts joy and prosperity.

TRIANGLE

The triple principle - earth, man and sky - found its expression in this symbol. A triangle filled with a mesh or linear hatching, among our ancestors, meant a plowed field. In the Christian interpretation, forty triangles acquired the meaning of forty days after a hundred or forty martyrs.