Easter eggs in Poland

Multilateral School Partnerships„Showing Our World Heritage”

Comenius 2013 - 2015Bulgaria, 2014

Nicolaus Copernicus Middle School no. 2. in Olecko

HISTORY Easter eggs, coloring on the eggs and blown eggs derive

from the Slavic rites. The egg was a subject in honor of the gods. It was the

subject of the Slavs in the intermediary between the living, the spirits and gods.

The egg was (and still is) a sign of the beginning of the universe, the sun, life has been associated as the beginning of life with all the construction and shaping something.

Therefore, decorating Easter eggs have a unique place in the Slavic rites and relates to the strength and power of nature, the universe and the gods.

The oldest known Polish Easter eggs come from the tenth century.

Nowadays Easter eggs are made before Easter, blessed, shared and eaten during Easter Sunday. Their beauty represent the emerging nature of

life, and above all, the hope that comes from our faith in the resurrection of Christ.

The only museum in the world devoted exclusively to Easter Eggs exists in Kołomyja

(now Ukraine), while in Poland Easter eggs are only part of the exhibition at the Museum of

Agriculture in Ciechanowiec (exhibition about 1000 eggs)

There are many schools and techniques – some peoplepaint Easter Eggs, others scratch or paste patterns on their

surface, others still dye them in special extracts. But one thing has not changed for centuries – the traditionof decorating Easter eggs is alive and well all across Poland.

Let us introduce you the most common

Polish Easter Eggs!

PISANKI

They are created by drawing designs on egg shells with molten wax. Then, the eggs are dyed and the wax is removed, leaving a

pattern on the surface. Lambs, crosses, flowers and other springtime motifs are the most popular symbols depicted on

pisanki.

KRASZANKI

Extracts of young rye, barley, grass or mistletoe leaves will dye your eggs green, and to get black colour use

some alder bark. Eggs soaked in cornflower decoction will turn blue, in

coffee – brown, in beetroot extract – dark red.

They also known as malowanki, are

single-colour dyed eggs. To make the shells yellow and

orange, you need to boil eggs in water with onion peels;

brown hue will result from adding some

oak bark; while dark hollyhock flower will give your kraszanki a

beautiful violet colour.

DRAPANKIDyed eggs are traditionally covered with

decorations, e.g. drawings made

with a sharpened pin. Pisanki created

this way are called drapanki.

OKLEJANKIEggs decorated with flower

petals, pieces of cloth or

paper cuttings are

called oklejanki

AŻURKI

And those with their contents removed and

shells painted are known as ażurki.

Authors:

Julia KapuścińskaWiktoria Jurczyk

Julia Raczkowska

Class 1c

Teacher: Małgorzata Harasim

Thanks for watching !