Па́сха [Easter] is древне́йший [the oldest] and са́мый большо́й [the biggest] пра́здник [holiday] in Russian Orthodox Church. Because Правосла́вная Це́рковь [the Orthodox Church] uses юлиа́нский календа́рь [the Julian calendar], ру́сские христиа́не [Russian Christians] often пра́зднуют [celebrate] Па́сху [Easter] later than the Western Christians.

A week or two пе́ред Па́схой [before Easter], мно́гие лю́ди [many people] in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus do some major spring cleaning. Everything must be clean: ме́бель [furniture] is dusted, полы́ [floors] are mopped, ковры́ [rugs] are vacuumed, о́кна [windows] are cleaned, што́ры и тю́ли [curtains] are washed, посте́ль [bed sheets] are changed, and оде́жда [clothes] are washed. Often instead of vacuuming, people take their rugs на у́лицу [outside] and give them a good beating: they hang the rugs on a specially constructed cramp-iron-like bar, and use выбива́лка (picture a large fly swatter) to beat the dust out of the rugs. If there is снег [snow] outside, then the snow can also be used for cleaning the rugs!

During this time many people also visit моги́лы [graves] of their relatives and loved ones. It is an old обы́чай [custom] to clean the graves before пра́здник [the holiday]. Since ро́дственники [relatives] are usually the ones who take care of the graves, they know they should visit кла́дбища [graveyards] after a long winter. Моя́ ба́бушка [my grandmother] to this day visits the graveyards where our relatives are laid to rest several times a year. Even though she can hardly walk, she knows it is her долг [duty] to look after the graves. People always bring цветы́ [flowers] and венки́ [wreaths] to lay on their loved ones’ graves.

All major food preparations begin за день до Па́схи [the day before Easter]. Because there is a 40-day пост [lent] before the holiday, Easter becomes a feast for one’s stomach! While большинство́ люде́й [most people] do not соблюда́ют [observe] the lent, there are those who give up мя́со [meat], сла́дости [sweets], or алкого́ль [alcohol] for 40 days. After observing the lent for over a month, people cook a lot for the holiday! A Russian Easter bread or cake known as кули́ч [kulich] takes center stage на пра́здничном столе́ [at the holiday table].

While religious holidays were not officially celebrated в Сове́тском Сою́зе [in the Soviet Union], some people still continued to observe them. Growing up, я по́мню [I remember] my family’s Easter preparations. We would clean our apartment, and then spend all Saturday cooking. My brother and I had fun coloring Easter eggs and then on Easter we would each pick яйцо́ [an egg] and see whose egg was stronger! Мои́ роди́тели [my parents] didn’t adhere to the 40-day lent, but they usually пости́лись [fasted] the day before Easter. As де́ти [children], we were never asked to observe пост [the lent]. So to us, Easter denoted fun, a lot of tasty food, and warm weather, which, in turn, meant more playing time на у́лице [outside]!

В воскресе́нье у́тром [on Sunday morning], my father usually went в це́рковь [to church] to have the food blessed by the priest. He took кули́ч [the kulich] and some хлеб [bread], я́йца [eggs], мя́со [meat], and са́ло [salted pork fat] to the church to have it sprinkled свято́й водо́й [with the holy water]. Then мой па́па [my father] divided the blessed food evenly among everyone за пра́здничным столо́м [at the holiday table], and we ate it before we started on the holiday meal.

On this holiday, Russian Orthodox Christians приве́тствуют [greet] one another with the words: Христо́с Воскре́с! [Christ is risen!] – Вои́стину Воскре́с! [He is risen indeed!] When someone is greeted with the phrase Христо́с Воскре́с! [Christ is risen!], he or she then responds Вои́стину Воскре́с! [He is risen indeed!]. Russians say these greetings три ра́за [three times], and while at it, they христо́суются [kiss each other after each Easter greeting]. Practice Easter greetings in Russian with us!

Many Orthodox Christians in Russia today посеща́ют [attend] це́рковь [the church] on Easter Sunday. Some also attend an overnight Easter служе́ние [service]. Как пра́вило [as a rule], people are not seated the entire time they are at the church. Elders are permitted to sit if they are not able to stand or when they устаю́т [become tired]. Usually, there are some pews located along the church walls. Women are required to cover their heads upon entering the church, and men must take off their hats. It is also preferable for a woman to wear пла́тье [a dress] or ю́бку [a skirt] to church. Christians listen to the service, мо́лятся [pray], light све́чи [candles], and sing hymns.

Жела́ем всем, кто пра́зднует, све́тлой Па́схи! – Happy Easter to all who celebrate!