Dear Members of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society,

As the winter chill begins to fade, we enter a season that is deeply woven into the fabric of our identity: the season of Easter. For the Rusyn people, this is more than just a date on the calendar; it is a profound time of renewal, growth, and the celebration of life.

They say you can tell exactly where a person is from by how they decorate their Easter eggs. Included with this letter is a photograph of an egg decorated in the traditional “drop-pull” style of pysanky. This specific silver Warhol egg was made by Helen and John Timo as part of a pysanky demonstration at the Warhol Museum, created in honor of Andy Warhol’s “Silver Factory.” It beautifully showcases the style used by my grandmother and her sisters. I can still see those eggs nestled in the traditional basket, covered with an embroidered cloth, waiting to be taken to the church to be blessed. That simple egg is a testament to the generations of faith and artistry that we carry forward today.

Just as the earth awakens in spring, the Carpatho-Rusyn Society is experiencing its own season of vibrant growth. I am thrilled to share several new initiatives that reflect our commitment to our “living history”:

• Translation Referral Service: We will soon be rolling out a new service to help connect our members with qualified translators to help unlock the secrets of old family documents and letters.
• The First C-RS Cookbook: Our traditions are kept alive in the kitchen! We are planning to ask all of you to submit your favorite Rusyn recipes for inclusion in our very first Society cookbook. Stay tuned for details on how to share your family’s culinary heritage.
• Book Signing with Dr. Paul Robert Magocsi: On May 9th, we are honored to host the leading historian of the Carpatho-Rusyn people at our Cultural Center in Munhall. We will be hosting a special book signing for Dr. Magocsi’s beautiful new work, Out of Nowhere: The Art of Carpathian Rus’. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet the author, secure a copy of this stunning book, and get an early “peek” at the progress we are making at the Center.

For those looking to deepen their connection to our holiday traditions, I encourage you to watch this wonderful video on Carpatho-Rusyn Easter Traditions. It is a beautiful reminder of the customs that make our culture so unique.

Thank you for being the heart of this Society. Your support allows us to keep these traditions—from the drop-pull of a wax stylus to the blessing of the basket—alive for the next generation.

I wish all of you a happy, healthy, and deeply blessed Easter season. Жычу вам шумны і благословены Великоднї свята, наповнены здоровём і радостёв. (Žŷču vam šumnŷ i blahoslovenŷ Velykodňi svjata, napovnený zdorov’om i radosťov.)

A traditional Rusyn paschal greeting is: Хрістос воскрес! Воістину воскрес! (Christos voskres! Voistynu voskres!) Christ is risen, with the response of: Truly He is risen.

Sincerely,

Mary Ann Sromoski

President, Carpatho-Rusyn Society