Easter
Description:
(It is a public holiday, celebrated by both Muslims and pagans.)
On daylight, many Christian families open clay jars filled with wine. During the collection of grapes and the preparation of wine according to the tradition of the Abkhaz Christians, young wine dedicated to Easter day is poured into a special jug buried in the ground. After the opening of the jar, the first part of the wine is sent to a particular temple, to which one or another Abkhaz Christian surname belongs. In the temple, the priest uses this wine during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and prays for the family or family that brought the wine. There are also cases when one or another Abkhazian surname has a similar jug in the fence of the temple. These jugs of wine are opened at Easter in the presence of all the men of the name, which belongs to this jug. The process of opening the jug with wine is accompanied by the slaughtering of the Easter sacrificial animal, as well as a festive meal, where relatives and neighbors are invited.
On the second Sunday after Easter, in the tradition of the Abkhazian Church, instead of Antipascha and the Apostle Thomas, the memory of the holy myrrh-bearing wives or, as the Abkhazians call it, “Women’s Easter” is celebrated. There is also a special festive meal on this day.
On Easter days, there is no commemoration of the dead and the covering of memorial meals is unacceptable. The dead are commemorated after "Women's Easter," on Monday or Tuesday.
On Easter in Abkhazia, a special national dish is prepared - "Ailaj". Eating is made from corn flour, with the addition of the first removed cheese. It turns out to be a very viscous and very tasty dish. There is a tradition that believes that the first thing a person should taste after the Easter service is cheese dumplings.
On Bright Week, a special jug with wine opens at the Abkhaz house. In Abkhazia, when a person makes wine, he prepares it mainly for Easter. This wine is dedicated to a specific temple, usually the one next to which the winemaker lives. The owner of the house, having opened a jug of wine, pours it into a special vessel that is not used in everyday life, and carries it to the temple so that the priest celebrated the Divine Liturgy on this wine, remembering the whole family of the donor.
The Easter service itself remained unchanged. But before there were "external" differences - in Abkhazia, the service was called not by the ringing of bells, but by the sounds of a special copper pipe. According to the Caucasian tradition, during the Easter procession, the priest climbed the bell tower and from there proclaimed for the first time: “Christ is Risen!”, the Easter troparion sang. Recitation, raised hands – such were the elements of worship. Today, these traditions have memories...