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Newblogswick
This blog does not represent the views of the US Government, the United States Peace Corps or my mother.
This blog does not represent the views of the US Government, the United States Peace Corps or my mother.
Dancers relax after a competition in Chisinau, Moldova.
Easter of the Dead
Moldova celebrates two Easters. The first was celebrated on 15 April and the second on 22 April. The second Easter is celebrated in the cemetery and is mean to recognize members of the family who have died. Traditionally, family members place presents on the grave of the deceased and local clergy visit each grave, bless it and burn incense in a censer to chase away evil spirits.
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Happy Victory Day!
In the interest of full disclosure: he didn’t land the trick.
Easter is the most important holiday in the Eastern Orthodox church. Masses usually begin between 6 and 8 p. m. in the evening and go well into the early morning. The first image shows a worshiper adjusting a basket filled with food that is traditionally forbidden to during the month leading up to Easter while awaiting the blessing from the priest.
Image2 : Worshipers stand outside St. Elias Monastery in Odessa, Ukraine in front of a stand that sold flowers, candles and foods traditionally eaten during the Easter Holiday. People attended church from 8 p.m. until the early morning to celebrate Easter and have traditional foods blessed by clergy.
Image 3: A girl sits outside the church as people gather to receive blessing from the clergy. It is customary for women to cover their head while attending mass. The Easter mass marks the end of Great Lent, where observers of Eastern Orthodox are not allowed to eat meat, eggs and dairy products, wine, and oil.
Image 4: An alter boy walks from the church to help the clergy set up a table for giving wine and bread to the congregation.
Image5: Two members of the monastery organize donations given to the church by people who have had baskets of food blessed. After the mass was over, priests blessed Paschal (Easter) eggs and baskets brought by the congregation containing those foods which have been forbidden during the Great Lent.
Image 6: A priest blesses observers of the Eastern Orthodox religion with an Aspergillum, the traditional implement for blessing observers.
