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Easter Holiday on the Upper Don

Easter, the main holiday for all the orthodox Christians, is always awaited impatiently on the Don.

According to the New Testament Church Easter symbolizes a triumph of the orthodox faith, a victory of God over sin and death, and a beginning of a new world.

Following the tradition Easter was preceded by the Great Fast, a time for abstention in meals, words, actions, a time of spiritual purification of man. The day of Easter was identified with the day of spring coming. It was waited for impatiently: for the Great Fast to be over to allow people to enjoy meat meals and make merry weddings.

On Willow Week Cossack women had a spring cleaning in the houses and outside them.

Then Holy Week came, the time of strict fasting. In some families, both adults and children had their meals only once a day and prayed.

On Holy Thursday called “clean”, all the members of the family washed themselves to be quite clean. On Thursday and Friday women coloured eggs dark red with dry onion peels, baked Easter bread called “paskha”, cakes and pies.

On Holy Saturday night Cossack men and women went to the church for the holiday religious service and to sanctify the Easter cakes, bacon and coloured eggs. Not all the villages had their church, so for many Cossacks it was a long way from home to get to the nearest church. Early in the morning of Easter Sunday they returned home to make a rich dinner of various dishes and sanctified food. The Don Cossacks had lavish holiday feasts.

According to an old tradition, Cossack families left their homes early in the morning of Easter to enjoy a beautiful sunrise fascinating with its play of bright radiant beams.

After the holiday dinner adult Cossacks had a rest, and young people went outdoors to mix with each other and enjoy themselves playing different games, dancing and singing.

Within Holy Week Cossacks did not do any hard work except that was necessary about the house, they attended the church, visited their relatives.

Irina Korenyughina