SCHLEIFE, Germany (AP) — Anke Hanusch dips her needle into dark blue wax and dots it precisely on a yellow-dyed Easter egg in her hand. Back and forth, wax to egg, egg to wax, as the honeycomb pattern grows.
The intricate motif means the egg will ultimately be a gift from a godparent to their godchild, to bestow diligence and a good work ethic upon the youngster.
The tradition of decorating Easter eggs is part of the culture of the Slavic-speaking Sorbian ethnic minority in Germany. Modern-day Sorbs are descended from Slavic tribes in Central and Eastern Europe who settled in Germany some 1,500 years ago.
About 60,000 Sorbs currently live in Germany, split between the federal states of Saxony and Brandenburg.
Easter is the biggest holiday of the year
Stephanie Bierholdt, an employee at the Sorbian Cultural Center in Schleife, a town just 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the Polish border, said Easter is the biggest holiday of the year for Sorbs and people travel home to celebrate with their loved ones.
“The best thing is that this tradition is still alive in families,” she said.
Bierholdt, Hanusch and other members of Schleife’s Sorbian community gathered at the cultural center April 6, two weeks ahead of the holiday, to celebrate their heritage through the Easter eggs and traditional folk costumes, songs and dances. Sorbian egg-decorating dates back to the Middle Ages.
From chicken eggs to emu eggs
Hanusch, wearing the red folk costume and bonnet of an unmarried woman (married women wear green), was among more than 30 artisans selling their Easter eggs at the cultural center. Her prices ranged from the cheapest decorated chicken egg for 7 euros ($7.72) up to 90 euros ($99.28) for a painted emu egg.
The decorating can take between 90 minutes and six hours, depending on the techniques used, the motif and size of the egg. The artisans use a needle or the tip of a goose feather quill, cut in different ways, to draw the designs.
The egg artisans said the worldwide bird flu outbreak, and subsequent egg shortage and price hikes, have not yet affected their rituals — though they added that it’s always best to get eggs directly from a farmer rather than a supermarket.
Hanusch, who is Sorbian on her father’s side, is learning to speak the Slavic language. She said she and other Sorbian children start decorating Easter eggs as young as two, from when they can first hold a pencil. Many only do it during the Easter season throughout childhood, but Hanusch continued with the skill and became a teacher to others, including her niece.
“I think it’s a valuable cultural asset that needs to be preserved,” she said. “It would be a shame if it were to become extinct.”