The egg serves as an emblem of the resurrection, and its decorated variations are globally recognized as a symbol of the most special day in the Christian calendar—Easter, the event that sealed the promise for eternal life. But among the countless versions of adorned eggs seen during Greek Orthodox Easter, there’s one that stands out in the region of Western Macedonia. Perdikes, beautifully ornamented Easter eggs, are an egg-decorating tradition that, with the help of melted beeswax, turns Easter eggs into unique, embroidered pieces of art, with each telling a unique story.
In northern Greece’s remote regions of Grevena and Kozani, every Easter grandmothers, mothers and daughters prepare for a long-lived tradition that remains vibrant to this day, the decorating of the Perdikes (Περδίκες in Greek).
Before they dye them red on Holy Thursday, they gather on Holy Wednesday to partake in a unique ceremony that is passed on from generation to generation. It is a process that requires patience, as each egg can be painstakingly “embroidered” for 20 minutes to about an hour. Patience, imagination, love and meraki—the Greek word for something that “comes from the heart”—are essential to the process.
Since last year the tradition of Perdikes is officially celebrated on Palm Sunday at an event organized by the Municipality of Grevena in the city’s main square. There, people of all ages participate in an interactive event where they can witness and experience how to embellish Easter eggs with melted beeswax while learning about the folklore of the region.
The table during the ritual looks like a small art workshop, but with a vigil olive oil lamp like that usually placed in front of Holy Icons in Greek homes burning in the middle. The materials needed are simple: pieces of beeswax and a calligraphy dip pen. In the past it a small, peculiar instrument, something between a pen and a brush, was used. Indeed, this traditional implement, a wooden stick with a small metallic cone with a tiny tip on the end, is still sometimes used today. The cone serves as a reservoir for the molten beeswax that is used on the surface of the eggs.
The designs of Perdikes include customary drawings of flowers in bloom inspired by the unparalleled beauty that surrounds the Western Macedonia region. According to Alexandra Mylonas, who hails from the region and knows the Perdikes tradition, these drawings were given as a dowry to be treasured by the women in a family.
The egg used in this ritual symbolizes fertility and health while connecting nature’s beauty with human art and technique.
The ritual of making Perdikes, Greece’s embroidered Easter eggs
The eggs used must be thoroughly cleaned and very well dried. Once the beeswax starts to slowly melt over the flame of the oil lamp, it is poured into the metallic cone from where it begins to drip. But this is no easy task. If the beeswax becomes overheated it will begin to drip out of the cone unevenly, destroying the intricate patterns on the shell of the egg.
This is where the technique of Grevena lies: women know exactly how to melt the beeswax so that when it pours out of the small cone, they start to draw delicate lines of wax with simplicity and artistry. Some lines are transparent while others are dark due to the heat from the flame of the oil lamp.
As for the designs, aside from flowers and leaves, they include butterflies, birds, grape vines and crosses, all representing the joys of life. They are then placed in a bowl until the time comes to be dyed red.
When Holy Thursday arrives, women start boiling water along with the red dye. In the past the women would have used natural dyes. When the women of Grevena dye Easter eggs they still employ a secret from the past: they add red onion leaves to the dye mixture, which keeps the color indelible and makes it more stable. The red color dyes the entire egg except for the parts that have been “embroidered” by the beeswax, leaving them a bright, white color which contrasts with the beautiful, vivid red.
Finally, the eggs are dried and then polished with a bit of olive oil for some extra shine. They are placed in a bowl for all to see and stand out like jewels in the Greek Orthodox home during Easter before they are given to loved ones.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
