Ukrainian Easter eggs (pysanky). I tend to make them in December or January when there’s not much reason to go outside, and while Easter is sneaking up on you.

Pysanky are traditionally made from chicken or goose eggs, decorated using a wax-resist technique (batik). The egg is dyed, then melted beeswax is drawn over the egg using a stylus (kistka). Anything covered by the wax retains its color, then the egg is dipped in a darker dye (going from lightest to darkest). Each time it’s dyed, you use the wax to keep that color of design intact, protected from subsequent baths in dye. At the end, all the wax is melted off using a candle. Voila! Colorful egg.

Decorated eggs have a long history throughout eastern Europe. The symbolism is important from ancient times through the introduction of Christianity into eastern Europe.