Egg decorating in Slavic culture

Modern Polish painted wooden pisanka
Examples of Croatian pisanica
A collection of Ukrainian pysanky with traditional folk designs

The tradition of egg decoration in Slavic cultures originated in pagan times,[1][2] and was transformed by the process of religious syncretism into the Christian Easter egg. Over time, many new techniques were added. Some versions of these decorated eggs have retained their pagan symbolism, while others have added Christian symbols and motifs.

While decorated eggs of various nations have much in common, national traditions, color preferences, motifs used and preferred techniques vary.

This is a Central and Eastern European, and not strictly Slavic, tradition since non-Slavic ethnic groups in the area (ex. Hungarians, Lithuanians, Romanians) also practice it.

  1. ^ Kazimierz Moszyński – Kultura ludowa Słowian, Kraków 1929
  2. ^ Anna Zadrożyńska – Powtarzać czas początku, Warsaw 1985, ISBN 83-209-0428-5

© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search