The Christian Orthodox world is
\ncelebrating Easter, one month after Western Christianity. We’ll be looking at
\nhow this holiday is celebrated in Romania, which is a majority Orthodox
\ncountry. But first, let’s find out from ethnologist Delia Suiogan how the date
\nof Easter is calculated and why Catholic and Protestant Easter doesn’t usually
\noverlap with Orthodox Easter:<\/p>\n
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The spring equinox is the common
\nelement in the calculation of the date of Easter in all calendars. Orthodox
\nChristians follow the Julian calendar, while Catholics use the Gregorian calendar.
\nThere is a difference of 13 days between the two calendars. The spring equinox
\nfalls on 8th March according to the Gregorian calendar and on 21st
\nMarch according to the Julian calendar. The date of the full moon is calculated
\ndepending on the two moments. When the full moon falls on a Sunday for the
\nOrthodox, Easter will be celebrated a week later. The same for the Gregorian
\ncalendar, except for the 13-day difference, which is why the resulting date is
\ndifferent. It’s important to note that Easter is a celebration that takes into
\naccount the moon and not the sun, as is the case for Christmas. This naturally has
\na direct influence on traditions and customs. Catholic Easter is usually
\ncelebrated before Orthodox Easter.<\/p>\n
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The week before Easter abounds in symbols.
\nThe whole period is traditionally marked by restraint and decorum in all
\naspects of social life. Sabina Ispas, the director of the Constantin Br\u0103iloiu
\nInstitute of Ethnography and Folklore in Bucharest, explains:<\/p>\n
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A service for the remembrance of
\nthe dead is performed on Thursday before Easter. According to some records from
\n16th century, the family of the departed would gather at their
\ngraves, where they would lament their passing and burn incense. Bonfires would
\nalso be organised. This fire was not seen as destructive, but as encapsulating
\nthe significance of light. It’s a form of expression of divine energy, which would
\nalso come to manifest itself over the following days and nights. In the days
\nleading up to Easter, evening services are held after the sun sets. On Thursday
\nbefore Easter, for example, a service called the Mass of the 12 Gospels is held.
\nThis particular Thursday is also when eggs are traditionally painted, lambs are
\nslaughtered and the Easter cake is made. Each activity performed in the
\nhousehold has a symbolic, allegorical meaning and heralds the moment of
\nResurrection on Saturday night. Friday before Easter symbolises the moment when
\nChrist was laid in his tomb. On this day, people would traditionally eat very little
\nor even fast all day. Bonfires would also be held in church courtyards, just
\nlike on Resurrection night.<\/p>\n
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Saturday night before Easter is very
\nimportant. No one is to sleep on this night, and people used to light bonfires in
\ntheir gardens, while at midnight everyone has to be in church to receive the
\nlight. The candle lit in church, which people would take home, was believed to protect
\nthe family the entire year. The image of the people carrying lit candles is in
\nfact quite spectacular, and can still be seen today, not only in villages, but
\nin cities as well. A special basket containing samples of the Easter meal would
\nalso be prepared in advance and taken to church to be blessed, as people in traditional
\ncommunities would never touch the food on special holidays such as Easter
\nunless it was blessed. The central element of the Easter meal is the red-painted
\nhard-boiled egg. Painting the eggs and preparing the food to be consumed on
\nEaster were the main activities performed in the days leading up to this celebration.
\nThe northern Romanian region of Maramure\u015f still preserves many of these old
\ntraditions. Sabina Ispas, the director of the Constantin Br\u0103iloiu Institute of Ethnography
\nand Folklore in Bucharest, tells us more about the symbolism of the Easter egg:<\/p>\n
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The hard-boiled egg comes via Judaism.
\nThe Passover plate has a yellow egg in the middle next to some bitter herbs. In
\nRomanian tradition, eggs are to be painted red. The modern practice of painting
\nthe Easter eggs green, blue and different other colours and combinations, not
\nto mention their featuring all manner of images, such as cats, dogs and cartoon
\ncharacters, has nothing to do with the traditional holiday. Eggs had to be
\npainted red, and could only feature an image of the cross, of the grain of
\nwheat, of the fish, and, of a more recent date, plant leaves.<\/p>\n
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Lent, which is the long fasting
\nperiod before Easter, only ends early on Sunday morning, after people return
\nfrom church with the baskets of food blessed by the priest. The blessing itself
\nfollows a specific ritual. The image of people gathering in front of churches
\nholding baskets full of traditional dishes and covered in beautifully decorated
\nhand-stitched cloths is truly impressive. But regardless of how it is
\ncelebrated across different regions of the country, Easter still remains an opportunity
\nfor shared joy and an important event that brings families and communities
\ntogether. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Majority Christian Orthodox Romania celebrates Easter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"featured_media":169881,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45210],"tags":[29008],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-169880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rri-encyclopaedia","tag-easter"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n