PORTLAND — The ancient tradition of pisanki (Polish egg decorating) will be renewed during a special workshop for children and adults at St. Louis Church in Portland on Sunday, March 19. St. Louis Church, which was built by Polish immigrants in 1924, is the only Polish Catholic church in Maine.
The free event on March 19 will be held in the church hall, located on 279 Danforth Street, following an 11:30 a.m. Mass. All ages are welcome. Tamara Konczal and Candie Sprague will lead participants through the process that involves the use of liquid wax to write or draw a design on an egg, which is later placed in a colorant and then heated to remove the wax and reveal the design underneath.
Pisanki comes from the verb pisać (“to write”). The eggs are often exchanged among friends with good wishes during Lent. It is a tradition that dates back over 1,000 years. Archaeologists have found remains of decorated pisanki eggs, at the time made from clay and limestone, in medieval cities like Giecz. Many dimensions of the eggs hold meaning, even the colors. In Polish culture, white stands for purity and innocence, red signifies love, pink implies success, green stands for wealth, blue signifies strength and health, and black symbolizes the dead.
For more information about the workshop or pisanki, contact the parish at 207-773-7746.
