Paschal Candle

I had the privilege of singing the Exultet at the Easter Vigil last night. But, being a lay cantor, did not sing the bit between the red parentheses in the Youtube video. Don't tell anyone but I'm not even a Roman Catholic by baptism. Smiled to myself at the bit about bees wax because the candle is so white it most probably does not contain any bees wax.

I was sacristan at our parish church in England in the sixties and always prepared the Paschal Candle; carving, decorating and eventually colouring it. I don't recall seeing a candle decorated with a chi-rho before. Is this a Catholic tradition?

This is one year when the Eastern and Western traditions celebrate the Paschal mysteries on the same day.

Oh, and for those of you looking for decorated eggs these are Russian. Sunday Morning on CBS showed some lovely Ukrainian examples this morning. Pysanky. There are more here, thanks Martha.