Easter in the FSU - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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Easter in the FSU
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Posted by: searcher

Happy Easter!!!!!!

So, I know some people color eggs, etc. What else do they do to celebrate Easter??

How is it viewed, as a religious holiday or what?

Posted by: bingism

This morning Katya and her sister took their decorated eggs to the church and also they ate Easter cake with tea for breakfast (not sure what an Easter cake is, but hey, why not!!)... Apart from that, I'm in the dark....

Your fiance's interview isn't a million miles away now - how are you two feeling???

Posted by: Chrismc

I spoke to Iryna yesterday and they had eaten special diets for three days, but today they can go back to their normal diet. Apparantly the special diet meant they could only eat certain vegetables, fruits etc, no breads and stuff like that.

They also baked Easter cakes and their Easter Festival started at 4pm yesterday through to 11am this morning.

That was in Ukraine.....so may be slightly different to Russia?

Chris

Posted by: markgm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrismc

I spoke to Iryna yesterday and they had eaten special diets for three days, but today they can go back to their normal diet. Apparantly the special diet meant they could only eat certain vegetables, fruits etc, no breads and stuff like that.

They also baked Easter cakes and their Easter Festival started at 4pm yesterday through to 11am this morning.

That was in Ukraine.....so may be slightly different to Russia?

Chris

My Nat did the same Chris there Easter Festival started yesterday and finishes tonite. Nat also baked an Easter Cake and decorated eggs which they took to get Blessed at a church on Sat morning.

Have there Easter Cake recipe here and photos

http://www.russianmeetingplace.com/...1&page=11&pp=15

Posted by: Chrismc

Quote:

Originally Posted by markgm

Looks good Mark whats it taste like??

Posted by: markgm

Quote:

Originally Posted by searcher

Happy Easter!!!!!!

So, I know some people color eggs, etc. What else do they do to celebrate Easter??

How is it viewed, as a religious holiday or what?

It is viewed as a religious holiday

Posted by: markgm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrismc

Looks good Mark whats it taste like??

I never got to try one Chris but Bob has He!! He!! he said it tasted like stale bread.

Posted by: Chrismc

Quote:

Originally Posted by markgm

I never got to try one Chris but Bob has He!! He!! he said it tasted like stale bread.

and they go to all that trouble just to make stale bread

I can do that here with no effort at all

..........I bet it is sweet stale bread they make though he he

Posted by: markgm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrismc

and they go to all that trouble just to make stale bread

I can do that here with no effort at all

..........I bet it is sweet stale bread they make though he he

Ha!!Ha!! I think you may be right well thats it for me tonite busy day tommorow Nite Chris.

Posted by: Chrismc

Quote:

Originally Posted by markgm

Ha!!Ha!! I think you may be right well thats it for me tonite busy day tommorow Nite Chris.

I would normally say nite Mark.........but we will start getting a reputaion like John and Randy he he he and I don't want Nat and Dana reading this!! and getting jealous he he

Posted by: Ms.Smarty Pants

HAPPY EASTER!

Posted by: Chrismc

Did you bake those Ms S P.they look really good!! why do you bake cakes for Easter, it is unusual for us in the West?

Posted by: Cheburashka

I wish I was eating at Ms. SP's house today. That looks awesome.

Posted by: Raspberry

Three of the Ukrainian ladies that are corresponding with me are all having major, traditional Easter Plans.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Here is a picture of what my GF made for Easter. She called them High Cakes. She called the topping sweet cottage cheese but it looks more like whipped cream to me. She also had fruit, eggs, and bread. She is from the Krasnodar Region of Russia. The city of Sochi to be specific.

Too bad I'm not there to enjoy her "cakes"!! I'm leaving for Russia on May 9th to meet her for the first time.

GTR

Posted by: jpierce55

I can throw in a letter from my friend in the Ukraine as she explained how her family celebrates, I don't think she will mind:

In the first lines of the letter I will write you a little about
our tradition to celebrate Easter.
The day before we bake Easter cake, cook and dye eggs. Thus there are
a few types of colorings.
There are a few types coloring eggs on Ukraine:
- krashanka (when simply dye one color in some),
- malevanka (this, when on the painted egg inflict a picture is
decorative pattern)
- tsarapanka (when on the painted egg scratch a decorative pattern by
the special instrument).
I heard such legend, that Maria amused little Хrystos by such eggs.
Lay these eggs on a saucer round Easter cake. In a church, after
service sanctify water (or take in a church,) of Easter cake, eggs,
meat (there is -meat, this meat baked in foil) (Easter concludes time
of Lent), red wine (how character of blood Хryst), although some
(strange people) is sainted vodka.
During Easter service it is possible to be heard the confession, as
you talk, and we talk to be communion, I.e. to clear up from
sins. It is also possible to put candles and/or < for
rest>, first for the health of near, friends native, acquaintances,
and second for rest souls in that world.
After returning from a church to home, we cover a table and above all
things put saints meal, after already other dishes.. We kindle a
candle brought from a church (by the way, carry her from a church
home, trying, that she did not go out). Before to begin a meal we by
three small gullets (on a hungry stomach) drink saint water, then
eat, something saint (this is named) and eat all
other. We have tradition to beat eggs at each other. It is merry! And
shell saint egg or crumb of saint Easter cake, throwing out is
impossible. It is necessary to allow them in a river or to burn!
In this day we in place of usual , talk <Хrystos revived!>,
and in reply .
I like this holiday (as well as New Year), that people become nearer
and more good to each other, and simple passer-by, an unknown man can
for no particular reason congratulate you, say <Хrystos revived!>,
and you can do also, without dread, that at you will look, as on an
idiot.

And I say thank you to her for the incredible detail she gave, I found it very interesting.

Posted by: markgm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrismc

I would normally say nite Mark.........but we will start getting a reputaion like John and Randy he he he and I don't want Nat and Dana reading this!! and getting jealous he he

Ha!!Ha!! and we wouldnt want that would we Chris.

Posted by: markgm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms.Smarty Pants

HAPPY EASTER!

Happy Easter SP from Aus

Posted by: vic2012

Quote:

Here is a picture of what my GF made for Easter. She called them High Cakes. She called the topping sweet cottage cheese but it looks more like whipped cream to me.

Viktorija says they are Kulich with paskha on the top. This topping is only made at easter and is made from Quark... looks great - sounds awful.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

So this is really sweet cottage cheese? I agree, sounds awful. Maybe Miss Smarty Pants can comment.

Posted by: Kathy

The cottage cheese is very tasty. It's not like North American cottage cheese - it's dry. There is a breakfast dish called "sirniks" in Ukraine which are made with the sweet cottage cheese, which can't be duplicated, and it's delicious.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpierce55

I can throw in a letter from my friend in the Ukraine as she explained how her family celebrates, I don't think she will mind:

In the first lines of the letter I will write you a little about
our tradition to celebrate Easter.
The day before we bake Easter cake, cook and dye eggs. Thus there are
a few types of colorings.
There are a few types coloring eggs on Ukraine:
- krashanka (when simply dye one color in some),
- malevanka (this, when on the painted egg inflict a picture is
decorative pattern)
- tsarapanka (when on the painted egg scratch a decorative pattern by
the special instrument).
I heard such legend, that Maria amused little Хrystos by such eggs.
Lay these eggs on a saucer round Easter cake. In a church, after
service sanctify water (or take in a church,) of Easter cake, eggs,
meat (there is -meat, this meat baked in foil) (Easter concludes time
of Lent), red wine (how character of blood Хryst), although some
(strange people) is sainted vodka.
During Easter service it is possible to be heard the confession, as
you talk, and we talk to be communion, I.e. to clear up from
sins. It is also possible to put candles and/or < for
rest>, first for the health of near, friends native, acquaintances,
and second for rest souls in that world.
After returning from a church to home, we cover a table and above all
things put saints meal, after already other dishes.. We kindle a
candle brought from a church (by the way, carry her from a church
home, trying, that she did not go out). Before to begin a meal we by
three small gullets (on a hungry stomach) drink saint water, then
eat, something saint (this is named) and eat all
other. We have tradition to beat eggs at each other. It is merry! And
shell saint egg or crumb of saint Easter cake, throwing out is
impossible. It is necessary to allow them in a river or to burn!
In this day we in place of usual , talk <Хrystos revived!>,
and in reply .
I like this holiday (as well as New Year), that people become nearer
and more good to each other, and simple passer-by, an unknown man can
for no particular reason congratulate you, say <Хrystos revived!>,
and you can do also, without dread, that at you will look, as on an
idiot.

And I say thank you to her for the incredible detail she gave, I found it very interesting.

Okay, a few points on this. First, the word your friend uses for eggs which have writing is likely regional. The decorated eggs are generally called "pysanky". If my husband were home, I could find out what region. Second, pysanky, and Ukrainian Easter eggs in general, have nothing to do with Christ. The tradition of painting eggs predates Christianity, with the first eggs, made of clay, being found in Ukraine in about 1300 BC. The eggs represent life, and that is how they ended up in Easter baskets - they are a symbol of life, and later, became a symbol of Resurrection.

Traditional Ukrainain Easter baskets contained horseradish, ham, kobasa (sausage), cottage cheese, butter, salt, and paska - a traditional Easter bread, with a candle placed in the bread. No vodka, no wine. The latter are "sovietizations", where alcohol consumption was encouraged. My Grandmother (from Western Ukraine), God rest her soul, would have been scandalized at the thought of alcohol in an Easter basket, as would my husband's Grandmother (from Eastern Ukraine). But then, here, some people would decorate their hams with pineapple - also not "kosher" for my Grandmother, who was a strict traditionalist, through and through.

The Easter baskets are the first food eaten Easter morning (after Lent and usually, a four hour service starting Easter morning), and typically, there is a large dinner Easter evening. What your friend means about "sanctifying" is blessing of the baskets - Holy Water is sprinkled over the Easter baskets to bless the food on Easter morning.

The breaking of eggs is a tradition in many parts of Ukraine, but was not in my family. Easter for Ukrainians was the holiest, and biggest Christian celebration of the year. My Grandmother was pretty much in a tither for weeks before Easter, ensuring that everything was just "so". If you've ever read the book "Babi Yar" by Anatoly Kuznetsov, you'd notice a similar attitude toward Easter by his Grandmother. That generation, sadly, is gone.

Keep in mind that the Church was controlled by the KGB since Stalinist times. To even work in the Church as a janitor required KGB approval! There was no underground church either that was not infiltrated. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church was a KGB officer. Church attendance was discouraged, and a career killer.

Some of these traditions are common in other Orthodox countries - I am generally speaking of Ukrainian traditions, as those are the ones I am most familiar with.

Lighting of candles is pretty common in Orthodox churches throughout the year, as are confession and communion. To take communion in an Orthodox Church, one must be baptized Orthodox.