Easter Eggs for Anya

Book excerpt: This Traditions of Faith book features a unique Ukrainian Celebration of New Life in Christ—the coloring and exchange of pysanky eggs at Eastertime. Children love coloring Easter eggs. Easter Eggs for Anya is a story to explain one of the origins of this tradition. In early nineteenth-century Ukraine, Christians celebrated Easter by exchanging colorful, hand-decorated pysanky eggs—but with Papa away at the war and Mama struggling to make ends meet, Anya’s family was too poor to buy eggs to decorate. That is, until Anya discovered an abandoned nest of goose eggs and began planning an Easter surprise. But God had an even better surprise in store, and when the eggs unexpectedly began to hatch, Anya learned what the Easter story teaches: spring brings gifts of myriad new beginnings, just as the risen Christ gave the gift of new life to us all. This book features a note about the origin and history of the tradition and offers family ideas and activities. Easter Eggs for Anya: Part of the Traditions of Faith Around the World series Offers family-friendly activities for the holiday Full-color illustrations Factual information about the Ukranian Easter tradition