04/05/2022
Ukraine is thought to be the birthplace of beekeeping in Europe. They have tons of beekeepers and export a LOT of honey! Their heritage goes back hundreds of years with their bees :)
Bees in Pysanka, Happy Easter!
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Historical Honeybee Articles - Beekeeping History
Bees were sometimes depicted on pysanka as a symbol of hard work and pleasantness, and represented all the good insects which should not be killed. In Ukraine, it was the custom to place at least one Pysanka egg beneath each bee hive to insure good production of honey.
The Origin of Hiding Easter Eggs - probably comes from the Ukrainian tradition that blessed Pysanky were believed to protect households from evil spirits, catastrophe, lightning and fires.
To give a pysanka is to give a symbolic gift of life, which is why the egg must remain whole. Traditionally, Pysanky would be placed in several places to insure good luck and protection from evil, tucked away in a place where it would not be broken. An egg would be placed somewhere in the house, in the barn with the livestock, and beneath the bee hive to insure good production of honey etc.
The art of the decorated egg in Ukraine, or the pysanka, probably dates back to ancient times. Christians embraced the egg symbol and likened it to the tomb from which Christ rose. Pysanky were thought to protect households from evil spirits, catastrophe, lightning and fires. The word comes from the verb pysanka, "to write", as the designs are not painted on, but written with beeswax. Bees were sometimes depicted on pysanka as a symbol of hard work and pleasantness, and represented all the good insects which should not be killed. Pysanky are typically made to be given to family members and respected outsiders. To give a pysanka is to give a symbolic gift of life, which is why the egg must remain whole. At least one egg was placed beneath the bee hive to insure good production of honey.
Source:
Wiki - Pysanka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pysanka
