Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Special Treat – Geo Rusu

April 22, 2006

The Romanian Easter tradition – Resurrection

Geo Rusu

     One of the old customs of an Easter in Romanian villager’s life begins on the night of Resurrection; which this year falls on April 23, in the Romanian Orthodox Church tradition.

At midnight when the cocks crow, one of the night watch people of the church fires a rifle two-three times in order to wake up the people and to come to the church so they could assist at the Holy Resurrection Divine service.

The villagers wake up and step on bedclothes to not smart / burn the soles of their feet for the summer and then they wash in a basin with fresh water in which there are a red egg, one or more silver or gold coins, and sweet/common basil.

After that, they wear their most new and expensive clothes. They pray and then the whole family goes to the church. An exception is made ill family members and very old persons.

The head of the family takes the sweet cheesecake eaten at Easter for blessing, and with his family, they go to the church.

An hour after midnight, the priest comes to do the Resurrection Divine service. In some villages, the priest comes at 2 hours after midnight, depending on how far the villager’s houses are from the church.

When the priest enters, the church is already full of people who are waiting to begin the holy service. The priest opens the doors of the altar and they remain so throughout the Divine Resurrection service.

Before the priest begins the Divine service, he priest takes `the Air` from the front of the Altar, which had been laid out since Good Friday.

`The Air` is a linen, a close painted icon, and represents the momentum of the burial of Jesus, `the Air`, the icon linen, lays on the Holy Desk in the Altar until the Wednesday before the Ascension.

The priest, with the assistance of the church keeper takes the Holy Bible, the Cross, and the lighted candles from the Holy Desk so that they can go outside and around the church while the bells are tolling by bell ringer.

Outside the priest gives the Holy Light to the people. All the people from a very old man to the youngest person hold a lighted candle.

The people then follow the priest and they begin to sing.

After circling the church, the villagers stop in the front of the church lead by the priest and they begin to pray.

At that moment, the bells are still tolling and the masses are singing with the priest. After the moment when the people receive the Divine Light from the priest, all of them enter in the church and the Divine service continues.

In many parts of the country such as in Banat region (southwest part of Romania), and Bucovina region (northeast of Romania), there is the custom of hugging and kissing.

On the Easter Sunday or during three days after, even people who meet for the first time, as well as families, friends, relatives all hug and kiss each other during this special celebration of Easter.

In Transilvania, the north-middle part of Romania, the hug and kiss have not only meaning of sympathy or love, but peace, and making peace each other.

In Banat, the hugs and the kisses on this Great Day, mean love, unity, brotherly affection, forgiveness, tolerance, and accepting and forgetting about all troubles, damages, losses, or burdens.

After Resurrection, all the participants of the Divine service return to their homes with the lighted candles. After they enter into their home, they pray and blow out the candle on the beam, on the girder of the entrance and blacken with smoke in the cross sign that place on the girder.

 They repeat this ritual every Easter and by counting the number of crosses, they know the age of the house, or how many years they lived there.

The used candles from Easter are very important throughout the year for the villagers, because they are re-used in times of danger or when the villagers are fearful, feel anxious, or feel uneasy about something.

In some places such as the Banat region, the village women who go to the markets and fairs to sell their products use the Easter lighted candles. While they pray they round the lighted candles above their products in order to have good fortune in their selling and in their bargaining.

During this very important event of the year, we also see the hunters and the anglers of the village, who affirm in the night of the Resurrection: “I catch venison` and `I catch fishes`…to have headway, abundance, prosperity, plenty of them all the year.

There are much more customs during this special event of the year, but the space and the time do not permit us to read them now. It would take an entire book regarding the Easter season in Romania, because there are a lot more customs specific to the regions of the country.

Here I just pointed out some of the very few of the main phases during the night of the Resurrection, as village customs and tradition.

Unfortunately, some of them are now forgotten by the younger generation, and only the grandmothers or grandfathers can tell about these wonderful things to those who still want to know or to learn, or practice them in places where they are still alive. 

This very special event is for the all Christians in the world, the most important Holiday of Christianity, and the Romanian people live this Holiday in its deepest signification.

May the Divine Light guide and protect your Life,

                                                         Geo RUSU

Geosays@gmail.com