Easter

Christ is risen!Easter is the main event of the year for all Christians and the largest Orthodox holiday. In the Western Christian world, the Gregorian calendar is adhered to and Easter is celebrated by Catholics on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

The word “Easter” came to us from the Greek language and means “transition”, “redemption”. On this day we celebrate the deliverance through Christ the Savior of all mankind from slavery to the devil and the granting of life and eternal bliss. Just as our redemption is accomplished by Christ’s death on the cross, so His Resurrection has given us eternal life.

Great day. The week before Easter was full of worries and worries. Women had a lot of work to do. They cooked food and cleaned the house. Washed everything: floor, walls, tables, shops, whitewashed the oven. Painted eggs. On Thursday, everyone washed in the bath, in the water necessarily put a silver coin to be all year clean and healthy.

On Friday, black bread was baked, on Saturday all cooked food was put in a wicker basket to consecrate it in the church. In the evening, adults and young people dressed in festive clothes, went to worship, only old people and children remained at home. After the end of the service, which took place all night, each owner tried to get home as quickly as possible, to overtake his neighbor, because according to popular belief this was to help finish the field work before everyone else, to grow a better harvest.

In Belarusian cities, they also went to the evening and consecrated cottage cheese, pies, dyed eggs.

At the festive table ate first a piece of boiled egg, and then everything else. On the first day of Easter, it was impossible to lend to any of the neighbors or relatives. My favorite pastime was kicking and rolling eggs.

The next day we went and visited each other. Godparents came to the godsoners and brought gifts.

The peculiarity of Easter in Belarus was the walking of Volochebniks - boys and young men who glorified the baker, his family, his hard work in their songs. Each family, to which the Volochebniki came, gave them bread, lard, eggs, cheese, etc. Volocheniki went all night, and in the morning gathered in someone's hut and arranged a general treat.

Today, Easter (Catholic and Orthodox) is approved in the official calendar and is widely distributed in the territory of the Republic of Belarus.