Viewfinder: Master Artist Helen Badulak Demonstrates Ukrainian Pysanka

Master Pysanka artist Helen Badulak and her daughter Nina Badulak-McDaniel demonstrated the Ukrainian art of decorating eggs at the on Thrusday.

The eggs are painted using the batik method of applying wax and dyes using designs to symbolize the entire universe (sun, moon, stars, flowers and animals). Later designs incorporated symbols of Christianity like the cross, fish, and churches.

The word "pysanka" comes from the Ukrainian verb "pysaty," which means "to write." The tradition of painting eggs as gifts dates back to 2000 B.C. Each color and design applied to the eggs is symbolic of different virtues and expresses the sentiments of the giver.