Orthodox Easter: A Moldovan Perspective
Every year, on the first Sunday that follows the first full moon after the spring equinox, Christian Orthodox people around the world celebrate Easter. As a Moldovan, I’ll share with you how my family and I celebrate this important holiday.
Traditionally, Orthodox Christians go through a period known as “Postul mare”, which lasts for forty days before Easter Sunday. During this time, people abstain from eating meat, fish, cheese, milk, and eggs, as a token of spirituality and purity. However, in reality, most people follow this tradition for only two or three weeks, including me.
There are two days during in which we can eat fish: the 25th of March, we celebrate “Praznicul Bunei Vestiri” (the day Archangel Gabriel appeared to the mother of Jesus) and the Sunday before Easter, known as “Duminica Floriilor” (or Palm Sunday in Catholicism).
In the days leading up to Easter, we prepare a variety of foods to enjoy during the holiday. Some of this food is brought to church to be blessed during the midnight mass on Saturday before Easter.
Among the many traditional foods we cook, two are always present: dyed eggs and “Pască.” We traditionally dye eggs red using berries, flowers, or even onion peels, but nowadays, people often use food colouring to create multi-coloured designs. Pasca is a sweet bread that has a round shape with a cross on top and is filled with sweet cheese and raisins, walnuts, poppy seeds, or other fillings.
The most enjoyable part of Easter is the celebration itself. Instead of saying “Hello” or “Good morning” we greet each other by saying “Hristos a înviat” (Christ has risen), and the other person responds with “Adevărat a înviat” (Truly he has risen).
Then, we prepare a bowl of water filled with one dyed egg, a normal white egg and coins. We then use this water to wash our faces in a ritual that is supposed to bring us health throughout the year. In fact, the red egg signifies health, the white one purity and the penny good luck. To begin with, we take the red egg and use it to “wash” our faces in circular motions. Next, we do the same with the white egg, then with a coin, and finally, we rinse our faces with the water. According to tradition, the last person to wash their face is supposed to take all the coins, but in reality, it’s often the youngest family member who ends up with them all.
After washing our faces, we drink a small amount of “Aghiasmă”, a type of holy water. Finally, we gather with our close relatives and share a meal together, starting with breakfast and continuing through lunch and sometimes dinner. The table’s filled with sweets, meat, cheese, and other foods that we did not eat during “Postul mare,” as well as eggs.
Before we begin eating, we choose one egg out of the dyed ones and participate in the Egg fight during which we tap our eggs against each other to see whose egg will break. The winner is the person whose egg remains unbroken. The egg fight is seen as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus, with the egg representing the tomb from which he emerged victorious over death. This is one of the most enjoyable traditions of the Orthodox Christian religion.
From my perspective, what I appreciate most about Orthodox Easter, and other major Orthodox holidays, is that it’s a time for families to come together and bond. Despite everyone’s busy schedules, we know that we will spend Easter’s day with our loved ones, and that’s what makes it such a special and meaningful holiday.
Disclaimer: This is how my family and I celebrate Orthodox Easter. There can be inaccuracies due to differences in geographical and spiritual matters.
Edited by: Ginevra Benacchio
