Today, Sts. Volodymyr and Olha remains a symbol of Chicago’s rich ethnic history. On Saturday, it was also the scene of a unique Eastern European religious tradition—the blessing of the Easter baskets.
In a parking lot behind the church, hundreds of people gathered with Easter baskets. Many were filled with decorated eggs, bread, salt, pepper and sausage while Rev. Krotec blessed each one with holy water
a Winnipegger has perfected a way to recycle fragments of intricately decorated Ukrainian Easter eggs into lasting artworks.
"I’m the only one in the world that’s doing this," says Dave Wasylyshen, who painstakingly pieces together mosaics out of the colourful eggshells, then coats the finished works with clear plastic resin.
Had some people over last night to make some pysanky! Picked up my supplies at Koota Ooma in the west end of Toronto and used the design from LearnPysanky.com.
In the …Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Ruthenian Catholic Church, the custom developed of using pussy willow instead of palm fronds because the latter are not readily available that far north. There is no canonical requirement as to what kind of branches must be used, so some Orthodox believers use olive branches. Whatever the kind, these branches are blessed and distributed together with candles either during the All-Night Vigil on the Eve of the Feast (Saturday night), or before the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. The Great Entrance of the Divine Liturgy commemorates the "Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem", and so the meaningfulness of this moment is punctuated on Palm Sunday as everyone stands holding their branches and lit candles. The faithful take these branches and candles home with them after the service, and keep them in their icon corner as an evloghia (blesing).
It is custom for people to ‘tap’ each other with their pussy willows and say:
While traditionally Ukrainians celebrate Easter next week according to the Julian calendar, some in North America are celebrating it today – xриcтoc вocкpec!
The most notable art piece highlighted during Easter time is the Ukrainian Easter Egg called the ‘pysanka’ , and here’s how they’re made:
Photo: ХриÑÑ‚Ð¾Ñ Ð’Ð¾ÑкреÑ! – Easter Table with Food from the Basket
While traditionally Ukrainians celebrate Easter next week