Food, pysanky, creativity, embroidery, wishes, wheat, salt, butter, candle, tradition, symbols and blessings!

From Svitlana K.

Easter baskets are usually brought to church to be blessed.

Traditionally, baskets are filled with foods that are easy to prepare: Easter Bread (Paska), hard boiled eggs, freshly grated beet and horseradish relish (Khrin), salt, butter, cheeses of all sorts, ham, sausages (kilbassa) and a variety of cold cuts. These foods are placed into a basket lined with a beautifully hand embroidered cloth (Vyshyvka). At the center of the basket sits the Paska and on top of it sits a lighted candle. The rest of the foods encircle it with brightly decorated Ukrainian Easter Eggs (Pysanky) everywhere. On Easter Sunday after mass families gather around their table ready to begin the celebration. They begin with prayers thanking God and sing “Khrystos Voskres” (Christ is Risen). Then the eldest person or head of the household divides one of the blessed eggs into several portions (one per person) and greets them with “Khrystos Voskres!” (Christ is Risen!) and they reply “Voistyno Voskres!” (He is Truly Risen!)

The offering of a piece of the blessed [hardboiled] egg symbolizes family and Christian unity with a wish for prosperity for the year.

May an egg be shared with each of you reaching across all parts of Ukraine including Crimea and the extended diaspora, in unity, prosperity, and with deepest wishes for strengthened brotherhood and sisterhood between us wheresoever we may find ourselves.
Христос Воскрес! Воскресне Україна! Christ is Risen! Ukraine Will Rise! 

These pysanky our readers share with you:

This beautiful egg was made by 7-year old Pavlo Nazarenko, who made it as a gift for his next door neighbour in Kyiv, Andriy Kurilenko who is 20 years old, an easy going guy, and a taxi driver – Pavlo was inspired by Andriy because Andriy stood on Maidan for about 3 months, a real hero, one of many. We are told he has a very nice Kozak haircut. 🙂 Slava Ukraini! Slava Heroyam!

Pavlo Nazarenko, 7 years old

Pavlo Nazarenko, 7 years old

Nazarenko Family:

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Tetiana and Tobias Ernst and family:

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Ukrainian Spring in our garden. And Easter baskets … From the Mudra Family!

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Yaroslava Solhan:

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From Svitlana Krasynska using the traditional onion skin dye technique:

Patriotic:

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Others:

Wishing you and your families and loved ones a blessed and Happy Easter!
Please pray for peace and stability in Ukraine.
Your support is much appreciated.

If you or your family made pysanky this Easter and want to include them in our archive of reader’s creations, send them in and we will add them here for posterity!