NEW YORK -- Forget lavender floppy-eared bunnies hopping through quaint pastoral scenes. The original Easter eggs were talismans dyed in baths made from berries and bark and portrayed symbols of eternal life, bou.jpgul harvests, gods and goddesses.

In Ukraine, the decorated k.jpgakes are called Pysanky (PI'-sahn-kee). The word is derived from Pysaty (pe-SA'-tay) meaning "to write," as in to "write" symbols on the egg. Intricate, multicolored, geometric designs are created as wax, dye and fire play a game of hide-and seek on an eggshell.

Making Pysanky was originally part of springtime festivities celebrating the return of warm weather, new life and fertility. The cultural and religious icons were thought to bring good luck and were often traded.

The Chrstianizing of Slavic countries gave pysanky symbols new meanings. Pictographs with pagan significance such as triangles, harvested grapes and symbols representing the sun god, were adapted to tell the story of the church, the Holy Trinity and Christ's resurrection from the dead.

Here are some tips for creating your own old-world Easter eggs culled from the Ukrainian Museum in New York:

* Prepare your materials

Soak a raw egg in highly diluted vinegar to clean the eggshell's surface. Create dye baths. The best colors to use are yellow, orange, red and black -- other colors may intermix. Get some beeswax, a candle and a kistka (the stylus for the wax) -- available in online craft shops. You'll also need a pencil, some paper towels, a design idea and some newspaper to protect your work surface.

* Plan your design

Lightly trace your design onto the dry egg with a pencil. Do not use an eraser to correct mistakes; the rubber will affect the egg's surface.

* Seal it in wax

Heat your kistka over the candle's flame then scoop wax into the open end of the kistka and reheat to aid the melting process. Wax will flow through the kistka's point as through a funnel. Apply wax to the bare egg to seal in all parts of your stenciled design that are to remain white. If a blob of melted wax falls onto the egg, creatively work it into the design -- it cannot be corrected.

* Dye slowly

Place the egg in the dye bath containing the next darkest color, yellow. Let the egg sit for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the desired brightness is achieved. Remove the egg from the dye and gently dab it dry with paper towel. Next, apply wax to seal in all portions of the egg that are to remain yellow. Continue the process using the orange and red baths. Use black last to dye all portions of the eggshell's surface that remain bare.

* The big reveal

Hold your egg sideways against a candle's flame to melt away all wax and reveal the colored pattern sealed beneath. Use a paper towel to wipe away the melting wax. Do not place your egg near the tip of the flame or it may scorch the shell. A simple varnish can be used to give the egg a glossy finish.

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