Past events in Arizona:

Easter Egg Decoration Demonstration

 Date: April 12, 2003
 Place: St. Elizabeth Seton Parish Hall, Sun City, Arizona

On the Saturday before Palm Sunday, the Lithuanian-American Community of Arizona hosted its second annual Easter egg decorating event in Sun City, Arizona. The event was opened by the pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, Rev. Franklin Bartel. A number of experts in the Easter egg decorating methods practiced in Poland and in Lithuania were present to instruct anyone interested in this wonderful traditional art form. Plenty of eggs were freely available, so that these instructions could be put immediately into practice with a helping hand from the teachers. Additional inspiration could be had at the Polish and Lithuanian Easter folk art displays from private collections and handouts were freely available about egg decorating methods and the history and legends associated with egg decoration. If anyone became hungry or thirsty, a buffet with food and refreshments was only a few steps away. The youngest guests were rewarded with Easter baskets full of goodies.

The Lithuanian-American Community of Arizona wants to thank all the wonderful artists and volunteers that made this event possible: Nancy Aleksa, Ilona Budinavicius, Gilanda Matonis, and Antonija Petrulis for teaching the Lithuanian methods of decoration; Halina and Sylvia Kosinski, and Helen Juszynski for teaching the Polish decorating traditions; Gilanda Matonis and Adele Bartys for the Lithuanian Easter display; Irena Zaleski for the Polish Easter display; Aldona Gencius, Rima Reklaitis and Aldona Vaitkus for the food and the buffet; Vytautas Reklaitis for buffet ticket sales; Gilanda and Kazys Matonis, Rima and Vytautas Reklaitis, and Rimas Vaitkus for preparing the hall; and Aldona Vaitkus for organizing the event. Regretably, the Ukrainian teacher Christine Boyko, was sick and was not able to attend.