Like every year,
Easter, the greatest feast in Christendom, which the majority Orthodox
Romanians always look forward to, overshadows everything else going on at the
moment. The usual political scandals and almost daily social protests we’ve
seen recently will die out for a few days to make room for prayer,
introspection, generosity and, last but not least, celebration.
The Church says
Easter is a time for love, peace and joy. The Romanians are thus called upon to
help the orphans, the lonely elderly and the helpless sick, in other words all
those in need and sorrow. On Saturday night, many people will be attending the
special services held in most churches and monasteries across the country and
in Orthodox churches abroad. At midnight, the priest will greet the news of
Christ’s resurrection by proclaiming Christ is risen! and the congregation
will respond Truly He is risen!.
Betrayed by Judas, one of his 12 apostles,
Christ is tried for blasphemy by the Jewish religious authorities. His
conviction is, however, a political act, as the Roman authorities of the day
decide to crucify him for his alleged attempt to undermine the state. Jesus
dies on the cross in terrible pain, is put in his grave, but rises from the
dead on the third day. His death does not therefore mean entry into
nothingness, but into the divine light of the Father.
In fact, on Saturday
night, the priest invites people to get Holy Light by lighting a candle. This
light, considered a miracle of Orthodox Christianity, is brought over all the
way from Jerusalem, where it descends every year on Holy Saturday from 12.30 to
14.30. A fire ignites in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, descending on the
tomb where Jesus was placed now more than 2,000 years ago. The Patriarch of
Jerusalem lights two bunches of 33 candles and then starts distributing the
Holy Light to the congregation and the religious delegates who will then
deliver it back to their countries.
94% of Romanians say they celebrate Easter,
with 87% of them saying they will attend the Saturday night service. For most
of them, Easter is also about enjoying a good meal, so the week before Easter
is spent making the final culinary preparations. Women dye the Easter eggs red
and make the special sweet dishes called paska and cozonac. Lamb roast and wine
are also part of the Easter meal, which brings families together. Many Romanians
who work and live abroad return to Romania for the Easter holidays to be with
their loved ones. Others spend Easter in the mountains, at the seaside and even
on a mini-holiday abroad.