HOME

TRAVEL LOG

FINE ARTS PHOTOS

LINKS

PURCHASE

MEET US

Us in Easter Clothes
They tell us now we belong here.


Orthodox Easter 2000 (April 31st-May 2nd):

Church Cleaning Preparations start long before Easter Sunday.

They have been 'fasting' two days out of every week for the five weeks before. This is their version of Lent. A 'fast' means giving up meat. The whole village eats vegetarian, like us.

   

Eggs for the priest   

   

   

   

Eggs are a huge part of the celebrations. Here, one of the two assistants to the church walks the village collecting eggs for the priest's house from every family.

Eggs and leaves   

   

They stick clover and other small green leaves on their eggs with water. Then tie them up in old stocking material.

   

Dyed eggs   

   

   

Then they make a dye out of boiled onion skins and let the eggs sit in it for five minutes. Where the leaves were green, the red dye leaches through to make yellow.

Matusha making Easter Bread   

   

They also make special Easter bread.

   

   

Easter Bread   

   

   

Baked bread   

The braids of dough are the baker's artistic outlet.

The tops of the loaves are given a golden glazing of egg yolk using a leaf from the garden.

   

   

      

Lambs in a crate   

   

   

The final major component of Easter Feast is the lamb.

They start out hauled in huge numbers to the Tirg the Thursday before Easter.

Spring scale and the lamb   

   

After they decide a price per kilo, up the sheep goes, tied by a string and weighed by a spring.

Dead lamb   

   

We learned the meaning of meekness, as we watched "lambs going to the slaughter." After the pig killings of Christmas, lambs are a pushover.

      

   

   

Stuffed lamb   

   

Then the two halves of the lamb's body are stuffed with a sausage made from their innards, and the once a year dish is baked in a wood fired oven.

  

   

   

Getting dressed   

Finally the day comes, and everyone dresses in their finest Kamashas.

Walking church   

   

Then we all walk down the village, ...

   

   

   

Rocky road to basirca   

... scale the hill to our church ...

Carrying easter baskets   

... carrying the Easter baskets.

   

   

   

   

   

   

Lighting the gravesThey light candles on their graves.

At one time, all the villages celebrated their Easter Mass at midnight. But now that's only done in a few villages and the monasteries. (Nowadays, at midnight most people watch it on TV.)

   

Easter baskets   

   

      

They range their baskets in a circle.

Service outside   

   

   

The priest conducts a service that sanctifies some water. In a neighboring village they sanctify wine.

Opening the baskets   

   

   

   

      

What's insideInside their baskets are the eggs, bread and lamb for their Easter day's feast. Some families even include their children's jewelry.

Blessing the baskets   

Then the priest throws the holy water on all the baskets, conveying God's blessing.

   

   

   

      

Church on Easter Monday   

   

On the day after Easter Sunday, they go back to church.

   

   

Women and children wait outside as the three hour service winds on.

   

   

   

   

Three girls   

Easter service   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Eucharest   

Then the Eucharist is given. Like the Anglicans, and unlike the Roman Catholics, not every service includes eating of the body of Christ. So it's a special time to receive the cross on one's forehead and take the bread.

Don't forget to leave your money on the table.

Priest disrobes   

   

   

Henry asked the priest if we could take his picture. He said yes, but told us he was in a hurry because he wasn't feeling well. Then he leaned forward and whispered, "diarrhea."

Henry asked "is it from eating lamb?" And the priest nodded.

He was seen running past crowds leaving the church.

As we found out later, he wasn't alone.

   

Easter Drink   

   

With all that fasting and service out of the way, time for the partying to begin.

   

Girls in the bar   

   

   

   

Boys in the bar   

   

   

   

The boys and the girls hang out in separate groups.

Cards outside   

   

   

Cards by the gate   

And card games fill the road.

   

   

   

Waif   

 Back to Ceremonies  

   


Home Page || Meet Kathleen & H. Woods || Purchase Photographs
Kathleen's Fine Art Photography || H. Woods' Reading Room
Our Favorite Links ||