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Polish pisanka is a common name for an egg (usually chicken's egg) ornamented using various techniques. Pisanki are being prepared before Easter. It is one of the most important Easter food products. Pisanki symbolise the waking up of nature and hope the Christians gain from the faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are many names for pisanki, based on the technique of preparation: Kraszanki (called sometimes malowanki or byczki) are made by boiling an egg in a decoction of plants or some other natural products.

The colour of kraszanka depends on the kind of product used: brown: onion peels; black: oak or alder bark or the nutshell of walnut; golden: the bark of young apple tree or the marigold flower; violet: petals of the mallow flower; green: shoots of young rye or leaves of periwinkle; ping: the juice of beet. Pisanki are created by drawing (Polish: pisanie) on an egg shell covered with a layer of molten wax. Later the egg is submerged in a dye. Oklejanki or naklejanki are decorated with bulrush, the petals of elderberry, the scraps of colourful paper or the patches of cloth.

The oldest known Polish pisankis come from the 10th century, but the eggs were probably decorated by Slavic peoples earlier than that. In the past only women were decorating eggs. Men were not allowed to come inside the house during the process, as it was believed that he could put a spell on the eggs. In the beginning, the Catholic church forbid to eat eggs during Easter.

This was changed in the 12th century, but it was necessary to pray a special prayer before eating. The reason for all this was to break with a Pagan tradition, in which an egg was connected with the cult of the dead. Nowadays in Poland, eggs and pisankis are being hallowed on Easter Saturday. On the Easter Saturday, before ceremonial breakfast, these eggs are being divided among the family at the table.