Polish Dyed Easter Eggs

The oldest known Polish Pisanki date from the 10th century, although it is likely that eggs were decorated by Slavic peoples much earlier.
In the past, only women were allowed to decorate the eggs. Men were not allowed to come inside the house during the process, as it was believed that they could put a spell on the eggs, and cause bad luck.
Until the 12th century, the Catholic church forbid the consumption of eggs during Easter. The church wished to remove itself from the pagan roots of the tradition connected with the cult of the dead, in which the egg played an important role as a symbol of rebirth.
This ban was lifted, but it was still necessary to offer a special prayer before eating.
Today in Poland, eggs and pisanki are blessed on Easter Saturday along with the traditional Easter Blessing Basket which contains many things.
On Easter Sunday, before the ceremonial breakfast, these blessed eggs are exchanged and shared and adored among the family at the table.
This is a symbol of friendship and love, similar to the sharing of the Oplatek (Christmas wafer) on Christmas Eve.

According to the Polish folk law and craft experts we divide Dyed Eggs to different categories.

The eggs decorated with the use of treated wax are called "pisanki".
Another technique involved glueing colored paper or shiny fabric on them (decoupage).
The eggs which are painted in one solid color are called "malowanki" or "kraszanki".
If patterns are etched with a pointed instrument on top of the paint, the eggs are then called "skrobanki" or "rysowanki".

Polish pisanka (plural pisanki) is a common name used for a decorated egg in Poland (usually that of a chicken, although goose or duck eggs are also used) decorated using the techniques mentioned above.
Originating as a pagan tradition, pisanki were absorbed by Christianity to become the traditional Easter egg.
Pisanki like the egg are now considered to symbolise the revival of nature and rebirth in the hope that Christians gain from faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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There are various types of pisanki, based on the technique and preparation used:
Kraszanki (sometimes called malowanki or byczki) are made by boiling an egg in a decoction of plants or other natural products.

The colour of kraszanka depends on the kind of product used:
Brown: onion peels;
Black: oak or alder bark or the nutshell of walnut;
Golden: the bark of young apple tree or the marigold flower;
Violet: petals of the mallow flower;
Green: shoots of young rye or leaves of periwinkle;
Pink: the juice of beet.

Drapanki or skrobanki are made by scratching the surface of a kraszanka with a sharp tool to reveal the white of the egg shell.
Photo credit: Wikipedia Creative commons

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Fresh white eggs (blown)
Beeswax
A candle
A soft pencil
An etching tool (kistka's - a special tool to write or draw
Matches, the paper and cotton napkins or cotton buds
Dyes for Easter eggs (natural or purchased dyes)
White vinegar, and a spoon.

How to make an etching tool (kistka): from a foil or a thin tinplate roll a cone-shaped tube.
Place it around the needle to the bottom hole as narrow as possible.
Fasten the tube on a wooden stick or skewer with a thin copper wire.

Dilute paints with hot boiled water.
Add 2 soup spoons of vinegar on each 0.5 liter of a paint.

In yellow and orange paints add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Wash white eggs up in boiled water of room temperature and dry them on a towel.
Carefully wash hands up with soap.

Take the egg in the left hand, and a pencil - in the right.
Support the balance of egg with a little finger of the right hand and divide his surface into fields with a pencil.
At the same time rotate the egg to yourself, and move the line away.
Try not to change pencil position.

Light a candle. Heat up a head of the etching tool (kistka) and fill it with wax.
Cover those lines and parts of an ornament which should be white with the hot wax.
Try not to interrupt the line.

Put the egg on a spoon and accurately lower it in for 1-2 minutes in yellow paint.
The paint should be warm, but not hot, because wax on the egg shouldn't be melted.
Blot the egg painted in yellow color with a paper towel or napkin, dry it and cover the yellow elements of an ornament with wax.

If there are green specks in the writing of «pisanka», remove them from the shell with a match, get them wet by a tip of a paper napkin, cover with wax and dip the egg into a red paint.

Having protected the red color by wax, lower egg in the final dark red, black or brown paint or in bleach for "Whiteness", "Lily White" if you want to create a «pisanka» on a white background.

And hold the egg over the flame. When the wax is melted, remove it with soft cotton napkin, and in your hands Pisanka will begin to shine.
Rub the finished Pisanka properly with olive oil.
Do not lacquer! Keep them out of the sun, in well-ventilated area and add them to your Blessing Basket

If you like to nominate Polish Easter Eggs
You can do so here Polish Easter Eggs for Lens of the Day