Ukrainian Christmas decorations with a Newfoundland twist

Danielle Bosa of St. John's credits her love of intricate Ukrainian Christmas tree ornaments to a former neighbour.  

"I'm pretty sure she's pretty proud of what I'm able to produce," said Bosa.

Bosa said she has been making pysanky, or decorated eggs, since she was about 12 years of age. 

"Our next door neighbour was Ukrainian, and she asked me if I'd like to learn,"  said Bosa.

"She had two boys who weren't really interested, and so I said 'sure.'"

'To write' 

Bosa said the word pisanki means "to write," which is what the decoration process is about — writing on the eggs in wax, then using different dyes to achieve the coloured designs.  

Through years of practice, Bosa said, her designs have gone from simple to quite intricate, incorporating both Ukrainian and Newfoundland elements onto each egg.

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