Lavishly decorated Easter eggs are an ancient symbol of spring in Eastern European folk traditions. In Christian tradition, they represent the resurrection of Christ. However, the art and tradition of decorating eggs to celebrate the new life of springtime goes back thousands of years. We are showing a gorgeous selection of hand-decorated eggs at CLUCK the Chicken Store from now until Easter They are worth a visit just to see, even if you don't want to buy any.

No question, the most dramatic are the incredible Ukrainian style eggs by the Janesville artist Pat Hall. They're called “pysanka” and they are decorated using a wax-resist method similar to batik. The word comes from pysaty, "to write", as the designs are not painted on, but drawn with hot wax using a traditional stylus, or kistka. More of the design is drawn after each different color dye bath. By repeating this process with different colors of dye, a multi-colored pattern is built up. Finally, the wax is removed to reveal the colors that were covered up at each stage.

We also have lots of Czech and Hungarian eggs created by several different methods. Some have designs “painted” on the dyed surface with hot wax. Other hen and goose eggs are hand-painted with intricate geometrical designs or scenes from nature.

These eggs are not only beautiful objects of art, but they also reflect more than a thousand years of folk tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. Once you see them, you will never think of "Easter eggs" quite the same way again.