Licensed pilot and hobby artist Samuel Brozina reveals his favorite Easter tradition.
An active member of his local church, Samuel Brozina is proud to continue a tradition today enjoyed by fewer and fewer church members – Ukrainian Easter egg dyeing. A qualified pilot and landscaping service foreman from Millville, New Jersey, Brozina provides a closer look at the tradition of preparing Ukrainian Easter eggs.
“As a member of my local Ukrainian Orthodox church, I’m proud to be continuing the ancient art of traditional Easter egg dyeing,” explains Brozina, an active member of Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Millville, New Jersey.
At Easter, he and his father, to this day, continue to honor the tradition of preparing Ukrainian Easter eggs. “Each traditional Ukrainian Easter egg, or pysanka, is decorated with traditional Ukrainian folk designs,” says Brozina. Pysanka, he explains, are created by drawing—in wax—directly upon an egg’s shell with a special tool.
“When the egg is dipped in a bath of dye, the areas covered by wax do not absorb the color,” reveals the Easter egg dyeing aficionado. “At the end of several steps of drawing and dyeing, and drawing and dyeing, the wax is melted off to show the design underneath,” he adds.
The eggs, and other traditional items, are then included in Easter baskets which are delivered to church—in Samuel Brozina’s case, Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Millville, New Jersey—to be blessed.
“My father and I have been dyeing these eggs since I was a small boy, and although a few may have been dropped and broken when I was little, I’ve since developed a steady hand as well as the necessary patience required to make a fine finished product,” Samuel explains.
While Sam says his father sticks with more traditional designs, he likes to let his creativity flow, and, accordingly, many of his eggs represent his own personal tastes. “Making these eggs is a relaxing hobby and draws me closer to the roots of the Ukrainian side of my family,” reveals Brozina.
“Today, fewer and fewer church members take the time to make pysanka,” he adds, wrapping up, “so my family and friends, proud of my efforts, are pleased to see the tradition continue for years to come.”
To learn more about licensed pilot, landscaping service foreman, and traditional Ukrainian Easter egg dyeing aficionado Samuel Brozina, from Millville, New Jersey, head to https://samuelbrozinamillvillenj.com/.
