How a time-honoured Ukrainian tradition symbolizes hope for this London, Ont., woman

It's a ritual that Londoner Luba Adamson has done many times before. 

First, she selects the perfect egg. Chicken eggs are best; the smoother the shell, the better. Next, she lays out beeswax, a candle and a stylus. Finally, there's the matter of informing her family that she'll be, as she puts it, "unavailable until this passionate, creative mood passes" - which for her usually lasts about a week to ten days. 

With her favourite classical piano music on in the background, Adamson sets to work on her latest pysanky, a traditional Ukrainian Easter egg. 

"You have to have a lot of patience," Adamson said of using the stylus, heated by the flame of the candle, to apply wax onto the shell. "Working with wax, it's very unforgiving. Once that wax is on, it's there." 

Adamson explained that the wax is used to preserve an intricate pattern of white lines she designs on the shell. 

Triangles, said Adamson, represent the Holy Trinity, although, in pre-Christian times, they would have represented fire, air and water. Straight lines circling the egg symbolize eternity. Stars and fish represent Jesus Christ.

With the designs in place, Adamson dyes over the pattern in as many colours as she likes. Blue represents the sky, red is for passion, brown for earth, and yellow for happiness.

Adamson first learned the art of pysanky during her time as a member of the Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada. While she was born in Toronto and later moved to St. Thomas before settling in London, Adamson's parents ensured she grew up closely connected to her Ukrainian heritage. She spoke Ukrainian at home, participated in Ukrainian musical events at church and attended Ukrainian school on Saturdays. 

Adamson made her first pysanky when she was 10 years old, and has made hundreds since in honour of the Easter season. 

She said one of her favourite things is to give demonstrations and recite the folklore surrounding pysanky. As part of tradition, the dyed eggs are blessed by priests and given away to others to celebrate life and fertility. Those part of Ukraine's rich agricultural society would take a blessed egg and bury it in the fields to ensure a good harvest. 

"It's an insurance that this cultural activity and art will not be lost," she said of teaching the craft to others. "It doesn't matter where you come from. Everybody enjoys beautiful things and everybody enjoys traditions that they can incorporate into their lives." 

Adamson said she has family members residing in and around Latvia. 

She said making pysanky has become all the more important as the Russian invasion has sent more than four million Ukrainian refugees fleeing for their lives across neighbouring borders. 

"I would say these are visual symbols of not only life, but they are symbols of hope," said Adamson.