The Best Shirt, Corals, and Headscarf: How Ukrainian Women Dressed for Easter

Easter in Ukraine is more than just a celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. It’s a time when the air is filled with the aroma of freshly baked paska (Easter bread), newly gathered willow branches, and the first spring greens. It’s the brightest of spring holidays — a time for family gatherings, cherished traditions, and the joy of nature’s renewal after winter.

Ukrainians have celebrated Easter since the Christianization of Kyivan Rus in 988. Over the centuries, the holiday has become deeply rooted in rituals, customs, and powerful symbols. Our great-great-grandmothers prepared for Easter as if it were the most important event of the year. From their white embroidered shirts to carefully chosen jewelry, every detail reflected their love for life, for themselves, and for their homeland.

Today, we want to recall how Ukrainian women used to dress up for Easter — to keep that thread of tradition alive in our modern world.

Traditional Easter clothes

Women used to start preparing festive outfits for Easter right after Christmas, during the Lenten period. They selected the finest fabrics, sewed and embroidered by hand, and thoughtfully planned their festive spring looks well in advance.

While traditional Easter clothing varied by region, one element was always present: the vyshyvanka — a light-colored embroidered shirt adorned with intricate patterns. It symbolized spring, sunshine, and fertility. Red, black, blue, and green threads were most commonly used in the embroidery.

A vyshyvanka could be worn as a dress, wrapped in a plakhta — an unsewn wrap skirt often made of colorful woven fabric. Alternatively, it could be paired with a long skirt and a wide belt — each woman chose what suited her best.

If the weather was chilly, especially during the traditional night church service, women wore a korsetka over their outfit — a fitted vest made of patterned or colorful fabric.

Young women and girls would also traditionally cover their heads with a headscarf or wear a floral wreath. These headpieces weren’t just decorative — they symbolized purity, femininity, and the arrival of spring.

Traditional Easter jewelry

On Easter, Ukrainian women completed their festive looks with jewelry that held both aesthetic and symbolic significance. The most iconic were red coral necklaces — strands of natural coral or clay beads. They were believed to offer protection and served as talismans, while the number of strands often reflected a family’s prosperity.

Outfits were also adorned with dukach pendants — large decorative coins or medallions with loops for hanging. These could be attached to necklaces, pinned to the chest, or even used to embellish hairstyles. Often strung on ribbons or chains and surrounded by ornate frames, dukachy were meaningful heirlooms, passed down through generations or gifted by parents or a spouse.

Women also wore silver or copper crosses and medallions, featuring religious symbols or folk motifs. These were tied on cords or ribbons, sometimes woven into hairstyles or fastened to headscarves. Such jewelry represented faith and spiritual protection.

Where Tradition Meets the Present

The Orxata Transforming Jewelry team reached out to influencer Roksolana Lima to hear what Easter traditions live on in her family. We also asked about her favorite outfits, must-have accessories, and the jewelry she never skips on this day.

“For me, Easter is first and foremost a family holiday — when we all come together around the table. It’s the warmth of hugs, smiles, and shared stories. I absolutely love Easter! I remember how we used to dress up for church, and usually, the whole family wore vyshyvankas. My mom wore her pearl necklace, and my grandmother always had on her finest headscarf — that necklace and scarf are what I’ll always associate with Easter 🤍”

Even today, just as it was centuries ago, jewelry remains a vital part of the Easter look. If you're searching for a modern expression of traditional beauty, explore the Orxata Transforming Jewelry collection — where each piece of versatile jewelry complements your vyshyvanka, captures the Easter spirit, and fits effortlessly into your everyday wardrobe.