RLOPCUkraineBlog: Easter Is Upon Us!

Last week, Orthodox Easter (Пасха) came to Ukraine. While I was here for celebrations twenty years ago, I don't quite remember getting so involved in the occasion. I think an important reason for this was that I was located in Donetsk which still had a very Soviet feel. There were churches but not as prominent as in other parts of the country. So the whole holiday sort of passed me by. But this time, things were different. I made a conscious effort to participate in the Easter festivities.

As the holiday approaches you can feel the excitement in the air. Special Easter cakes (paska/паска: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paska_(bread)) appear in the markets and people begin to make the traditional easter eggs (pysanka/писанка) Then comes Thursday which sets the church services in motion. Known as Чистий Четверг (Clean Thursday), this is the day you clean your house...and your soul. People head to church after work where a mass seems to continually be in session. You enter, buy a candle (or use your own), and then ask a fellow worshiper for a light. I was unsure of the protocol so I asked for a light, listened to my prayers, and then blew out my candle in unison with the rest of the church. This process was repeated twice before I decided to head back home. While I did not attempt this, you are supposed to keep your candle lit as you go home. If the candle remains lit the whole way, you will have a good year and your soul will now be clean. I wondered how this could be done if the particular Thursday happens to be windy or rainy. I was told to bring a lighter. Hmmmm.....

Saturday is a bustle of activity as people rush to the market to buy last minute provisions. The line then seems to be drawn between the die-hard worshipers and the casual/less hard-core worshipers. If you are a die-hard, you go to the church all night and stay until morning to see the sun come up. I believe there are prayers and perhaps some solemn marching around the church. (Need to check on this as I have received some conflicting information) If you are still somewhat hard-core you arrive at the church at four o'clock and wait for the sun to come up. I am neither and I am locked in the dorm at night so I did not venture out. But I did go to the church on Saturday evening. Much like the all-night/early morning crowd, people show up to get their baskets blessed by the priest. In your basket you place any food that you want blessed. Unlike Catholic Easter, there are no bunnies and baskets are not filled with candy (well, not much anyway). Looking at the people lined up around the church, I saw everything from sausage, to chicken, to fruits and vegetables, cakes, etc. Apparently, people wait in line while the priest comes by with a bucket of water and a sponge-like device on a stick. After their food is blessed, the people quickly leave to be replaced by another group. I'm not sure how long this lasts but wave after wave of worshipers kept coming to the church Saturday evening.

So what exactly happens on Easter Sunday (or Великий День/Great Day) depends on the family. Many people will go to church and stay for a little while...or hours on end. Most people take their blessed baskets and eat the food the next morning. About that time горілка (vodka) also makes an appearance. I believe many people use this as a day to be with family, enjoy the renewal of spring, and enjoy a nice drink. And you can finally eat your паска. I was told to do things properly you can't eat your special Easter bread until Sunday morning. And I was good...kind of....I did try the frosting.