As they huddled around tables, with candles lit in the center, some chatted while others remained focused on the task at hand. Coffee, freshly baked Ukrainian bread and the smell of extinguished candles filled the air as they took out their pysanky. “You end up with a magical work of art,” said Cathy Paroschy-Harris, as she carefully melted the beeswax from everyone’s eggs into a small toaster. A stylus is used to apply melted beeswax to the egg. Wax layers and colored paints alternate to create unique designs. (Andrew Nguyen / CBC)
Cathy Paroschy-Harris, one of the teachers and organizers of the workshop, shared that the tradition of each Easter was always special. But this year ‘s event was very moving for her, on many levels. “My mom died recently and her wish when she died was – she was in a long-term care home – and she asked my sister and I to make pysanky for all the staff,” he explained while holding a pysanka. she had made with her mom more than 20 years ago. “So it turned out that my sister ended up making two dozen… and we put labels on them and packed them, and as soon as we finished with the last package she left her last breath. “So pysanky meant a lot and I still do,” she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

Ukrainian Canadians rely on tradition for power

But the lab has taken on a new meaning this year as the war in Ukraine continues – two months have passed since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops across the border. Cathy Paroschy-Harris and Walter Warywoda, organizers of the workshop in Thunder Bay, have fond memories of creating pysanky as children. (Olivia Levesque / CBC)
The annual workshop usually raises funds for the Ukrainian Chaban Dance Group in Thunder Bay, but the proceeds this year will be donated to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Those in the lab also wore T-shirts reading “Stand with Ukraine” and some wore blue and yellow ribbons on their hearts. LISTEN Pysanky Workshop Celebrates Ukrainian Culture in Thunder Bay: “There is still a lot of fear and disbelief in some ways. But we are trying to celebrate religious events like Easter, as we usually would,” said Walter Warywoda, president of the Thunder Bay branch of the Ukrainian-Canadian Union. Paroschy-Harris said the volunteers baked Paska bread, a traditional Ukrainian knitted bread, until midnight before the workshop as part of the fundraiser. The participants in the workshop lined up in the basement of the Ukrainian Catholic Church as they waited for their eggs to be dipped in paint by volunteers. (Olivia Levesque / CBC)
“To be able to share the richness of both the cuisine, the arts, the heritage … so that people understand and appreciate it, because I think that is what helps us all respect each other more.” he said. “And pysanky is a very, very important part of Ukrainian culture.” The art of pysanky has been around for centuries and uses a traditional method of “writing” eggs with melted beeswax through a stylus called kistka. The candle retains the colors in the eggs as they sit in paint baths. The process is then repeated, creating a multi-layered effect. There is a myth that says as long as the pysanky are written that evil will stay away from our lands.- Karling Draper
The creations are intended to tell a story with symbols of life and nature and traditional folk motifs. The method is something that Karling Draper has been working on all these years. Now, she volunteers at the event to help others in the process. “It’s something people can celebrate with us and it transcends cultures. It transcends nationalities. You don’t have to be Ukrainian to make a cake,” Draper continued. Both Draper and Paroschy-Harris said they believed egg-laying was particularly important this year as Ukraine and its culture came under attack. Karling Draper, who has been creating pysanky for years, says she is proud to show others the art form, which allows her to feel more connected to her heritage. (Olivia Levesque / CBC)
Both said that the creation of pysanky would send strength to the people of Ukraine and show pride in culture. “They will last forever if you take good care of them and … I think there is a legend that says that as long as pysanky is written, evil will stay away from our lands,” Draper explained. “We can keep this evil away from us here. But we can also send these thoughts to Ukraine.”