✠ You cannot stop being a Christian if you love Christianity and Christ. Olga Mark in “For I Am Wonderfully Made” (FIAWM) This short essay contains some of my reflections on current deb…

As Great Lent comes to a close, the faithful have observed the colorful tradition which has been passed down through generations; the cherished custom of the blessing of the Paschal food eaten on Easter Sunday, or better known as Pascha! Each of the following traditional foods has a symbolic and sp

Jerusalem, Holy Saturday, Uncreated Light from Christ’s Tomb

Today in the Greek Orthodox calendar is the "Saturday of Lazarus" and is, in a way, the beginning of the Greek Orthodox Holy Week. "Lazarakia" (literally meaning "Little Lazaruses") are traditional small, sweet and mildly spiced cookies made only once a year and that day is today. They represent, of course, the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We are not 100% sure from when and where this custom started but it seems that it probably arrived in Greece with the Greeks from Asia Minor. Hence the fact that it is a recipe that we don't find all over Greece but mainly in places where the Greeks of Asia Minor reached and established themselves through the years. For example, Cretan friends have told me that in Crete they are not familiar with this custom. On the other hand there are other islands like Kalymnos, Kasteloryzo, Rhodes and Skopelos where these cookies are a "must" for this time of year and there are various festivities connected to them on this specific Saturday. Lazarakia are cookies shaped like a man wrapped in a shroud (supposedly Saint Lazarus of Bethany) with cloves for eyes. They are Lenten cookies meaning they do not contain any dairy or egg products. Somebody would say that they look ugly and macabre but these cookies have a different purpose than any other type of fancy cookies. They are meant to remind us of Lazarus' resurrection which forebodes Christ's and lets not forget that this was Christ's last miracle before his own death and resurrection. Being not so attractive in looks and rather "poor" in ingredients, these small cookies don't lack of taste at all!! On the contrary they are very tasty and aromatic thanks to the spices that go in. There is a basic recipe but depending on the region the cookies come from there are various extra elements added which enrich the flavour of them. The version I'm giving you today is only one of the many that exist. I've cooked them 2-3 times in the past (different versions regarding the spices) and once you have the first bite you forget all about looks...:-)) Cooked by Dimitris Andreou, "Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper Ingredients: 1 Kg of hard flour 1 glass of lukewarm water + extra for the kneading 1/2 tea-cup of granulated sugar 1/2 tea-cup of olive oil 2 tea-cups of dark raisins 1 tea-cup of finely chopped walnuts 2 sachets of dried yeast 3 leveled tsp of ground cinnamon 1 tsp of ground cloves whole cloves to decorate Method: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lay with baking paper a couple of oven trays. Dissolve the yeast in the glass with the lukewarm water. Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Fill it with the sugar, the olive oil and the dissolved yeast. Start kneading the ingredients with your hands slowly adding, as you go along, the lukewarm water, just enough until you have a relatively firm dough. Then add the spices, the raisins and the walnuts and continue kneading thoroughly until the dough doesn't stick to the hands at all. Get quantities of the dough and shape into small men (see photo on top). Form eyes, nose and mouth with the tip of a clove and then stick them to the dough where the eyes should be. Transfer the cookies on the oven trays, cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for 1 hour. Brush with some oil the Lazarakia for a glossy effect and put in the middle shelf of the oven. Bake until they are nicely golden. Take out of the oven and allow to cool on metal racks before serving.

Learn all about the Greek Orthodox Holy Wednesday (Holy Unction) religious service.

Learn about Pascha – the most important observance in the Greek Orthodox faith – and its special Easter traditions, like cracking red eggs.

The reflection of Christ with Divine Wisdom has a strong representation in the iconography of the Orthodox Church. The religious icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of G

Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha in the Greek Orthodox Church

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces...

The Hymn of Kassiani chanted once a year in Greece, on Holy Tuesday, for Greek Orthodox Easter tells the tale of a female saint and poet.

Download for free and print this helpful lesson in chart format HERE to remind your students about each day of Holy Week in the Orthodox Church. The PDF file is filled with icons and a short description that is easily understood to enrich your experience to Pascha! The second page includes my original Pascha Poem, along with the Greek text to Xristos Anesti. Holy Monday- Joseph Holy Tuesday- Ten Virgins Holy Weds - Betrayal of Judas Holy Thurs - Mystical Supper Holy Friday- Crucifixion Holy Saturday- Empty Tomb Holy Sunday - Resurrection of Christ Join our Orthodox Kids Journal Project. All files are located here. Wishing you and your families a blessed Pascha 2019!

In the Orthodox Christian Church, Great Lent and Holy Week are two separate things. Officially, Great Lent ends on the Friday before Palm Sunday, and Holy Week begins the day... View Article

Explore yalla yalla's 276 photos on Flickr!

Following 40 days of Nativity Lent, the birth of Jesus Christ is commemorated with a final Lenten feast on 6th January (Old Calendar). There are several symbolic features to the dinner table, including the placing of hay under the tablecloth in memory of the manger in which the Holy Child was placed by His Mother at His birth. Some grain is also thrown in the straw to represent the abundance of Christ’s Coming. The linen tablecloth represents the birth clothes Christ was wrapped. The Supper usually consists of 12 courses, symbolic of the 12 Apostles. The twelve fasting foods usually served are: barley, honey, stewed prunes, pierogi, sauerkraut, potatoes, lima beans, garlic, Lenten bread, mushroom soup and salt. Reminders that life is both bitter and sweet and that the work of each day throughout the current year was required to truly celebrate Christ's Coming. The Holy Supper The meal begins with the singing of the Christmas troparion and the lighting of a candle placed in the center of the table. The candle symbolizes the star of Bethlehem. The Holy Supper usually takes place in the home with the father leading the family in the prayer ritual. It begins with the youngest child reading the Nativity account from the Gospel of St. Matthew 2:1-12. The father then starts with an opening prayer asking God to bless the bread, wine, and food. He then breaks the bread and passes it out to all present. This symbolizes Christ at the Last Supper. The supper begins with a spoonful of the traditional Kutya, a cooked wheat or barley kasha, sweetened with honey, poppy seeds and chopped nuts – symbolic of joy and happiness. An extra place is always set at the table for Jesus, either in Spirit, or in the form of a traveller or stranger, for none are turned away on this day without a warm invitation to partake of this Holy Supper. If there is a priest present the prayers are lead by him instead of the father. The Prayers & ceremony Priest: O Lord Jesus Christ our God, Who blessed the five loaves in the wilderness and with them You satisfied the five thousand, bless this loaf, wine, and the food we are about to eat and multiply them in this city, and in all the world, and sanctify all the faithful who partake of them. For it is You, O Christ our God, Who bless and sanctify all things, and to You we ascribe glory, together with Your Father, Who is without beginning, and Your all-holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. People: Amen. Honey is placed on the forehead with the words: All: May we love one another as the bee loves honey. The cup of wine in passed around for each to drink. All: Unite us in Faith and Love. Bread is broken and passed to all. It is then dipped into the honey and eaten: All: Let us love one another. Garlic is eaten – not pealed but cracked with the teeth. All: May God Spare us from all Evil. The twelve Lenten foods are eaten without knives or pepper. Pepper symbolizes arguments and knives the cutting of friendship Closing Prayer: May He who was born in a cavern and lay in a manger for our salvation Christ our true God, through the prayers of the Holy Theotokos, of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke and of all the saints have mercy on and save us for He is good and loves mankind. People: Amen After Supper, the candle is blown out gently and if the smoke rises straight up it means a blessing for the year. It is traditional for all to attend a Vesper Service following which the choir may begin visiting homes to sing Christmas Carols. Traditional Foods Served The foods range from bitter to sweet to remind us of the bitterness of life before Christ was born and the sweetness of life which comes after His birth. The number 12 symbolizes the twelve apostles. Two may be chosen from each category – except soup. Appetizers: lkra (caviar), Kutya, Pick-led Mushrooms, Piroshki (with mushroom or sauerkraut filling), Herring (with beet and onion slices), Baklazhan (eggplant caviar). Soup: Mushroom, Barley, Fish (with dumplings), Borscht, Cabbage, Vegetable. Fish dishes: Baked Pike, Trout or other, Fried Filet of Sole or Bluefish, Fish in Aspic, Stuffed Carp, Fishcakes, Fried Smelts, Boiled Lobster. Vegetable dishes: Potato Pancakes, Boiled Potato (with dill), Baked Sauer-kraut, Baked Sliced Beets, Potato Salad (with beets), Cauliflower (with bread crumbs and margarine topping), Lenten Cabbage Rolls, Pickled Baked Cabbage, "Malosolniyeh" Pickles (freshly dilled). Fruit & cake: Dried-fruit Compote, Cherry or Blueberry Vareniki, Poppy seed Cake or Roll. Nut Pudding, Apple Strudel, Kissel, Fruit Rolls. Beverages: Wine, Kvass, Russian Tea (served with preserves and lemon slices) Kutya 1 cup wheat 2 cups water 1 cup honey 3 Tbsp poppy seeds ½ cup chopped nuts Soak wheat in 2 cups of water for 4 hours. Cook until desired tenderness. Meanwhile, cook honey with water and add poppy seeds; add nuts. Serve cold with the wheat. Baklazhan 1 eggplant 2 chopped green peppers 4 onions 4 Tbsp oil 2 tsp salt 1 tsp lemon juice ½ tsp pepper 2 Large tomatoes Bake eggplant at 450° until soft to the touch. Remove skin, chop pulp almost to a puree. Fry onions in oil until soft; stir in chopped green peppers and fry 6 min. longer. Skin tomatoes and chop coarsely; add to onions. Add eggplant and all seasoning. Cook uncovered until mixture is thick enough to spread. Chill until ready to serve on black pumpernickel or sesame crackers. Lenten Golubtzi 1 cup rice 1 cup mushrooms 2 cans tomatoes, strained 3 stalks celery 1 head cabbage 1 can tomato soup 1 clove minced garlic 2 green peppers 2 Large onions 2 tsp minced dill 3 Tbsp cooking oil salt & pepper to taste Cook rice until thick. Fry garlic, peppers, 1 onion (minced), 1 celery stalk (chopped finely) and sliced mushrooms in oil. Add to rice and mix well; add seasoning and tomatoes -- but save the liquid. Boil cabbage until leaves can be separated without breaking. Cut raised center vein of each leaf so it will be no thicker than most of leaf. Place about 2 Tbsp of filling in stem end of leaf; roll once, then fold in sides of leaf and con-tinue to roll rest of way. Use all the larger leaves and save the too-small ones to line bottom of roaster. Place Golubtzi in layers, then add the can of tomato soup, the liquid from the canned tomatoes and the other onion, minced, as well as the other 2 stalks of celery, chopped finely; salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 2 hours in a covered roaster in a moderate oven, about 350°. Fish Fillet With Peppers 1 ½ lbs fish fillet 1 Tbsp flour 1 onion ½ cup oil 1 green pepper 2 tomatoes salt & pepper Season fish with salt and pepper, and dip in flour. Fry in oil until golden. Add chopped onion and thin strips of pepper and fry until soft. Add skinned and chopped tomatoes, cover and simmer for 10 min. Thicken sauce with remaining flour and serve. Dilled Fried Potatoes Boil unpeeled potatoes in salted water. Add a clove of garlic to water. Cool, peel and cut potatoes into large cubes. Slice 2 onions and fry in oil until lightly browned -- then add potatoes, salt and pepper and fry until warmed through and browned. Sprinkle with finely minced dill and serve. Noodles and Cabbage 4 cups cabbage shredded finely 1 Tbsp salt ½ cup butter or margarine 1 tsp sugar ½ tsp pepper 4 cups broad noodles cooked and drained Mix cabbage and salt together and let stand 30 minutes. Squeeze out all the liquid. Heat butter or margarine in deep skillet; add cabbage, sugar and pepper. Cook over low heat until cabbage is done, stirring very frequently. Add noodles and toss to blend. Dried Fruit Compote Simmer any combination of dried fruit, such as apples, pears, raisins, peaches and apricots in enough water to cover. Add water as needed during cooking, until all fruit is soft and tender. Add sugar to taste and about a one-inch stick of cinnamon; add a strip of lemon rind. If cinnamon is unavailable, a pinch of ground cinnamon may be used. May be served hot or cold, as preferred. Source: www.stlukeorthodox.com Like Living Orthodox Traditions on Facebook

Deciding to become Orthodox in no small thing. Though I had been a Christian for all of my life, Orthodoxy seemed quite foreign at first–older, more elaborate, more demanding, and just plain different than anything I had ever known. However, as my soon-to-be husband and I began reading, researching, and eventually attending an Orthodox church,Read More

Learn all about the Greek Orthodox Holy Saturday religious service.

Holy Friday in Greece is one of the most eventful times of the year. It's a day of sorrow, the culmination of Christ’s Passion. An experience you shouldn't miss.

Here's a look at the pious custom of red eggs in the Orthodox Church for you and your families to enjoy. Where did the tradition come from...

Traditional Greek Orthodox Plastic Proshora StampSpecial Seal for the Holy Communion Prosphora BreadMaterial: PlasticSize: 5.5" - 14cmHigh Quality

Key Takeaways Greek Holy Week holds deep theological importance and offers renewal for Christians leading up to Easter. Greek Easter traditions, like red-dyed eggs and Easter cookies, are upheld despite variations in Lent observance. The heart of Greek Easter is the Resurrection celebration on Holy Saturday night, marked by a unique church service and the sharing of the holy fire. Easter Sunday brings families together for spit-roasted lamb, meat-based dishes, traditional music, and joyful reunions. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in Greece during Easter and experience it like a local? Easter – or 'Pascha' in Greek – is the greatest celebration of the Eastern Orthodox Church, honored by various customs and religious ceremonies. Here, we give you a day-by-day breakdown of the Greek Holy Week to introduce you to the most essential Greek Easter traditions. The Greek Holy Week The most shocking week in human history is undoubtedly Holy Week. Deeply theological and especially all-encompassing, it is a source of renewal and mental purification for all Christians who, participating in the sacred services of these days, experience the mystery of the redemption of the human race. It is no secret that Holy Week, always in combination with the joyous celebration of Easter, is the most important period of Orthodox worship. It is a weekly mystical process that leads the believer to experience the saving Passion of Christ and to fill the divine economy around man for his salvation. Corfu in a day: Achillion Palace, Paleokastritsa & Old Town BOOK NOW In specific, Holy Week is the week just before Easter that extends from Palm Sunday until Holy Saturday and marks the last week of Lent. It has earned the name ‘Holy,’ according to the Orthodox Church, due to the significant events that take place for Christianity in regard to the sufferings of Jesus Christ. During this week, every year, believers prepare themselves for Jesus Christ’s Resurrection by abstaining from meat as well as most animal-derived products.   Greek Easter Traditions Nowadays, Lent is not strictly followed -or even followed at all- by most people for the whole duration of Lent, but only during Holy Week. Regardless of people’s religious beliefs in Greece, however, most Easter traditions have been kept alive due to their customary nature and fun elements.    Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday Interior of a Greek Orthodox church in Nafpaktos village in Western Greece - credits: Milan Gonda/Shutterstock.com From Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday, there are no typical traditions that take place outside of the church. Holy Monday is dedicated to two events: The life of Joseph, son of Patriarch Jacob, who was sold as a slave in Egypt, and the adventures of whom reflect the life of Christ and his sufferings. It is also dedicated to the tale of the fruitless fig tree that Christ dried, with the fig tree symbolizing the soul of every human who lacks virtue. Holy Tuesday is dedicated to the parable of the ten virgins, which aims to teach people to be full of faith and charity, as well as the parable of ‘Taladwn,’ which aims to teach people to be hardworking and cultivate their spirituality.   Holy Wednesday is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, who regretted her life of sin, washed Christ's feet with myrrh, and was forgiven because of her strong faith. Holy Thursday – Red-Dyed Eggs Red Easter eggs and Easter cookies - credits: Lydia-Vero/Shutterstock.com On Holy Thursday, Christianity celebrates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the twelve Apostles. In commemoration of the Last Supper, on Holy Thursday, the preparations for Jesus Christ’s resurrection are underway in the Greek houses. According to tradition, people make Easter cookies -or ‘koulourakia’ in Greek- and hard-boiled dye eggs red. Eggs have been a symbol of the renewal of life since antiquity, while the color red symbolizes Christ's blood. In recent years, families have followed the tradition of dying red eggs for Greek Easter but enriched it by dying them also all kinds of colors, and the kid of the families undertake the task of decorating them with stickers and various other materials. The dyed eggs are not supposed to be eaten until the night of Holy Sunday after the resurrection of Jesus takes place. Following Holy Thursday’s evening mass, after the reading of the Twelve Gospels, some people undertake the decoration of the Bier of Christ (epitaph) with flowers of various colors and sizes so that in the morning of Holy Friday, when Jesus is taken down from the Cross, the epitaph is ready to hold the image of his body.   Holy Friday – the Bier of Christ Epitaph ceremony in Corfu - credits: D_Zheleva - credits/Shutterstock.com Holy Friday is a day of mourning, on which both morning and evening masses are being held. At the morning mass, the body of Christ is taken down from the Cross; the priest covers it with a white sheet and places it in the Bier. The Bier itself symbolizes the tomb of Jesus Christ. People kneel before the empty cross and osculate it. During the evening mass, most of the religious ritual occurs outside the church, a rare occurrence for an Orthodox sacramental ritual. According to tradition, the ornate epitaph gets carried out of the church by four men accompanied by young girls who hold baskets full of rose petals. The girls are usually dressed in white dresses and are called ‘Myrrhofores,’ which translates to ‘the girls/ladies who bring the holy oil.’ The priest leads the march, and the believers follow, holding a candle in their hands as an expression of commiseration to Christ’s death. The march terminates in the church, where the crowd shapes a circle, and the Bier of Jesus Christ is held on the shoulders of its carriers before the church’s entrance so that every single believer has the chance to enter the church by passing under it; and therefore, get its blessing. On some Greek islands, such as Hydra and Tinos, the Bier of Christ is also taken to the sea so that it blesses the waters and protects the local seamen.    Holy Saturday - Jesus Christ’s Resurrection Orthodox Christian worshiper holds candles during an Easter vigil mass - credits: Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock.com On the night of Holy Saturday, people go to church in formal outfits holding their personal Greek Easter candles. The votive candles are given to the kids as a gift by their godmothers and godfathers, while the beauty and distinctiveness of each candle are of paramount importance to them. The mass on Holy Saturday night is a truly unique experience. It’s the one and only religious ritual that the vast majority of Greeks attend. The peak of the night is around midnight when the hymns that are being sung get soft like whispers, and everyone gets ready for the glorious moment ahead, Jesus Christ’s resurrection! Ionian Escape: 12-Day Athens, Zakynthos & Kefalonia Trip BOOK NOW The priest comes out of the chancel holding the holy fire and shares it with the enthusiastic believers who wait patiently. He invites people, telling them to “come to get the light!”. People pass the fire to each other, and even the very last votive candle is lit before everyone starts leaving the church to get the holy fire to their house. The atmosphere becomes really festive, and the sky is lit with fireworks. Upon returning home, it’s time for the Greek Easter egg-cracking tradition, where each person picks an egg and clinks it against the egg of someone else. Together, the participants say to each other: - “Christ has risen!”- “Truly, he has risen!”   Afterward, the traditional dinner of ‘Mageiritsa’ -a Greek Easter soup made of lamb intestines and lettuce- is served, and the family gathers around the table to wholeheartedly enjoy their first meat-based meal after Lent. Easter Sunday – The Traditional Spit-Roasted Lamb of Greek Easter Lamb in the barbecue shrouded with smoke - credits: Anton Mezinov/Shutterstock.com Easter Sunday is the main reason why people believe that Easter is all about family. Greeks love going out with friends, being independent, and traveling abroad, yet, Easter is a synonym for ‘family’ for them. Almost everyone in Greece visits their grandparents’ village during Easter and especially on Easter Sunday. On that special day, brothers and sisters, cousins, parents, and grandparents –the whole kinfolk– gather to grill lamb and dine all together. The fast is over, so grilled lamb, as well as other meat-based recipes and Greek Easter treats, like ‘kokoretsi,’ a dish consisting of lamb or goat intestines wrapped around seasoned offal, including sweetbreads, hearts, lungs, or kidneys, and typically grilled, are definitely on the menu. Traditional Greek folk music can be heard everywhere throughout Greece, and people indulge in lots of food while drinking and dancing the day away. It’s the perfect chance for family members to reunite!   The meaning of 'Kali Anastasi' 'Kali Anastasi' in Greek translates to 'Happy resurrection' in English. This is the most widespread wish used only by Greek-speaking Orthodox. Nowadays, this wish seems to mean 'have a good celebration,' and it is exchanged on Easter Sunday and many days after it.  Greek Easter decorations Much like Christmas, Easter, another religious holiday, is characterized by the decorations it brings with it. Unlike Christmas, which brings a range of colorful, bright, and striking home decorations, Easter does not have a clear decorative line. Of course, this period also has very typical practices, such as the Greek Easter red eggs, traditional easter cookies, and fluffy 'tsoureki' dessert, that often decorate our space, but also symbols such as the hare and the hens; however, you will never find trees. and ornaments and lights. And to be honest, you don't even need all that! Because Easter has the benefit of being during spring, with the blooming nature and the bright colors at its side. Decorate your home with huge rabbits, strange decals on painted eggs, paper garlands, yellow chickens, chopped corrugated paper, and various other cheesy items you love. Final Thoughts Easter is the greatest celebration of the Orthodox Church and, at the same time, the most cherished family time for Greeks. If you have seen the popular movie ’My Big Fat Greek Wedding,’ you may understand what a typical Easter gathering would look like; the funny family reunions in the scenes of this movie, although dramatized, are actually rather close to reality! If you plan on being in Greece during Easter, consider yourself lucky; Easter in Greece and the weather in Greece in April and May is something you should experience at least once in your lifetime and our Greece tours and Greece vacation packages will help your dreams come true! Our Tailor-Made Trip Planning 01 Hop on a quick call with a local expert from our team 02 Receive a tailor-made itinerary for your journey 03 Fine-tune the details and you're ready to go LET'S PLAN MY TRIP

Drooling over this nutty spiced dessert is a heretical move.

A Liturgical ExplanationSaturday of Lazarus - "Having fulfilled Forty Days ... we ask to see the Holy Week of Thy Passion." With these words sung at

Last week we celebrated the feast day of St Elizabeth the New Martyr (July 5th/18th), who is my oldest daughter’s patron saint. Here is how we celebrate name days in our house! If you’re unfamiliar with this practice of celebrating name days, as Orthodox Christians we choose a patron saint upon ente

As much as the Orthodox faith is singular in doctrine and essence, it is at the same time beautifully diverse with many different cultural expressions brought to the festal table. Here we explore the similarities and differences of Paschal traditions among the Slavic and Greek cultures.

Some amazingly beautiful icons of the Most Holy Theotokos from the Eastern Orthodox tradition

Learn all about the Greek Orthodox Holy Saturday religious service.

Greek Orthodox Easter is the most important religious event of the year and very symbolic. How do Greeks celebrate Easter?

The Orthodox Mama shares a variety of Orthodox Holy Week Activities for Children: from books to crafts to coloring sheets and more.

Here's a look at the pious custom of red eggs in the Orthodox Church for you and your families to enjoy. Where did the tradition come from anyway? It seems there are a few possible answers to this question...of which I prefer to believe in the miracle that God worked through His handmaiden, Saint Mary Magdalene (whom by the way is often wrongly attributed as the prostitute who anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair - Here is an Orthodox Wiki for a well cited clarification). Other symbolism, not as dogma, but as tradition includes: *The egg as the new life in Christ through His resurrection *Red for the color of our Lord's blood shed on the cross but also for His divinity *The outer shell to be cracked as the doors of Hades are shattered open Since children enjoy decorating the eggs, why not encourage them to display their faith on them, as the picture shows! Be sure not to throw away any icons if you use them, but certainly include symbols like ~ icxc, fish, crosses, tree of life, the Trinity, 4 Greek Letters for Mother of God...etc Try creating a design on your eggs with with melted wax, then dip them to dye them red, and afterward, burn off the wax to reveal the design underneath. This is a wonderful craft for older kids to try. Ukranian Egg Kits are available online. The simple wooden tools for the wax are called "kistkas" LASTLY - remember, eggs and eggshells from the Church that have been blessed should not be thrown away! Please gather them to be burned with your holy items and ashes buried. This worksheet is available in PDF format here