In 2022, Orthodox Christians (and according to official data, 60% of Russians are Orthodox) celebrate Easter on April 24. On Russian Easter, you won’t meet the Easter bunny and you won’t be collecting chocolate aggs. The celebration includes other, no less interesting and unique customs. Today we will introduce you to Russian Easter traditions and facts.
Russian Easter is celebrated on different dates, but on the same day of the week every year. It falls on the first Sunday after the first church’s full moon. Orthodox Easter is usually celebrated later than Catholic Easter, because the Russian Orthodox Church follows the old Julian calendar, unlike the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, which have been using the Gregorian calendar since the XVI century. So, in 2021, Easter was celebrated on May 2, and in 2022 it will be on April 24.
Easter is preceded by 40 days of Great Lent — the most important event of the Orthodox church year. Those who follow it, can not eat meat, dairy products, and on some days even vegetable oils. They are also supposed to refuse entertainment, watching TV, quarrels, swearing. Fasting is not a diet, according to Orthodox tradition, but a restraint of the flesh and spirit. On the last Friday before Easter (Good Friday), you can not eat and drink until the evening, until the first star appears in the sky.
This is a Russian Easter tradition, very similar to the custom of “general cleaning”, which can be seen in many parts of the world. According to custom, the Holy Week before Easter is a time to put your house in order, literally and figuratively. In particular, the Thursday before Easter is known as Holy Thursday. In addition to thorough house cleaning, many Russians use this day to visit the bathhouse to cleanse their body, and attend church to cleanse their soul.
This day also falls on Sunday, the last before Easter and the beginning of the Holy Week. In the Orthodox calendar, this day marks the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, where the inhabitants greeted Christ with palm branches for resurrecting Lazarus. In Russia, palm branches were replaced with willow twigs, which by this time are just beginning to bloom. The day before, on Saturday, a service is held in the church, you can also consecrate twigs there, and put them in water at home. By Easter, the willow buds should open.
In Russia, the Easter service begins on Saturday evening and lasts until dawn. This is usually an impressive ceremony with candles and liturgical chants, attended even by those who do not attend services often. The main Easter service is held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The service is broadcast live on Russian television, attended by the Head of State (President) and headed by the head of the Russian Church (Patriarch).
At midnight, the bells ring to announce the Resurrection of Christ. After the service, you can consecrate Easter treats prepared in advance: cakes, painted eggs, Easter. It is this food that is recommended to eat first after the Great Lent.
By clicking "Send" you agree to us processing your information
This is perhaps one of the most important traditions of the Russian Easter, because eggs are painted and decorated with drawings even by those who are far from Orthodoxy. Hard-boiled eggs are traditionally dyed red with onion husks; they symbolize resurrection and new life. Egg exchange is one of the most popular Easter customs. Many people use various food and natural dyes, stickers, rhinestones and other things to decorate their eggs.
The central of the table is occupied by the Easter cake and Easter. The Easter cake is a rich yeast pastry, and the Easter is a dish of cottage cheese and raisins (nuts, candied fruits and various dried fruits are often added), cooked in the form of a pyramid. In every store on the eve of Easter, you can buy a variety of cakes, but many families still prefer to cook their own cakes according to traditional recipes that are passed down from generation to generation.
Easter is a family holiday, relatives and friends go to visit each other. Each meeting is accompanied by certain rituals. People exchange Easter eggs, kiss each other three times on the cheek and say: «Христос воскресе!» (“Christ has risen!”). And you have to resond by saying: «Воистину воскрес!» (“Indeed, He has risen!”).
If you are not religious at all, but you have the desire to congratulate friends and acquaintances, you can use another phrase when meeting: «Счастливой Пасхи» (“Happy Easter!”). You can use a more complete version of this phrase: «Желаю вам/тебе счастливой Пасхи» (“I wish you a happy Easter!”).
Russian Easter holidays include various games in which, unsurprisingly, Easter eggs are used. The most popular game is rolling eggs on the floor or down a slope / wooden board in order to knock down the eggs of opponents, the winner is the one whose egg reaches the finish line without breaking. Also, people try to break one egg against another by hitting them against each other, and the one whose egg is broken last becomes the winner.
The Easter holiday is not finished yet. During the next 40 days, until the feast of the Ascension of Christ, the church remembers one of the main events of the Christian world — the Resurrection of Christ. And in the first week after Easter (Holy Week), church services are held daily at the open royal gates (in the iconostasis), symbolizing the opening of the Heavenly kingdom by Christ for all people.
Easter vocabulary:
Learning a language sometimes causes difficulties, grammar training and memorizing new words is not always an inspiring task. But getting to know cultural peculiarities and mastering the language through them is fascinating. Use this opportunity as often as possible.
We hope you found this article useful. We are ready to help you learn Russian online with a native speaker. Classes are individually adapted to your wishes. Submit an application for a free trial lesson and we will find the most suitable Russian language course for you.
By clicking "Send", you consent to us processing of your information.
By clicking "Send" you agree to us processing your information
By clicking "Send" you agree to us processing your information
