This book is an ode to the returning light and the awakening of nature. Two generations meet in the cyclic circle of time—a mother and a daughter. Other family members join them for the Easter egg coloring tradition—those who are still present and those who are already gone. Each person brings certain ideas that were traveling through centuries hidden in the patterns of Easter eggs.

The coloring and scratching of the eggs is the reason for gathering, not only around the Easter table, but also several days before—while spring is bursting, and evenings become longer, while one is breathing the fresh smell of the first greenery. The creative togetherness of the preparation period over a couple of weeks strengthens the family relationship. It also reinforces your relationship with yourself during the creative process, as our fingers search continuously for the pattern path on the egg. We create our own Easter egg and it is almost impossible for even the closest family member to create another one alike. We barely can repeat the same design ourselves. Just like each egg, each design is slightly different, singular and distinctive.

Even though there are a lot of spells, magic, meaning, and symbols hidden in the designs of Easter eggs, in this book we want to frankly and simply share the secrets of wax coloring and scraping techniques, to remind and invite you to continue this very Lithuanian tradition, creating the distinctive layer of your own time.

The most beautiful and colorable Easter eggs are traditionally preserved or given as a gift—they guard the home and family members from all troubles. Creative joy experienced during the coloring or scraping of eggs is being passed on as a concentration of kindness, together with the wishes encrypted in the patterns. This kindness was not borrowed from the traditions of other lands, it was neither bought or imitate. We are part of that tradition and we are responsible for passing it on.

In this book, we talk about the beauty of the awakening nature, about our own creative springtime power, about time and age, about the bonds of a family, and our land of plains where the birds, returning from the south, are lured by the straw man hiding in the braided straw gardens.

We hope this book scented with real bee wax will inspire you to closely observe the transformation of spring and creatively take on this old Easter art form.

This book is written by Dalia Bazarienė and Eglė Bazaraitė
Photography: Šarūnė Zurba
Design: Jonė Miškinytė
Editor: Jurgita Jačėnaitė

SAVAS MARGUTIS is available in Lithuanian exclusively from Dvi Tylos.