Hristos a Inviat! Adeverat c-a Inviat!

Easter has been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember...so much so that I was ticked when I had to miss Easter service for a golf tournament during college; and my student teaching supervisor would tease me because I talked about Easter too much.  I thought I took Easter seriously...and then I came to Romania.

**I should make it clear that my experiences are of Easter in Transylvania and some traditions differ in the other regions of Romania.

Easter in Romania is a very serious affair and to be respected.  I like this, and it is one reason that makes Spring my favorite time of year in Transylvania.

• Eggs are intricately painted with great skill passed down from generation to generation.  Eggs are also colored dark red to represent the blood of Christ in accordance with the story of Mary Magdalene putting a basket of eggs at the feet of Jesus while he was on the cross.  His blood dripped on the eggs coloring them red.

• Greetings change to honor the Resurrection.  People will now say "Hristos a Inviat" (Christ is risen), and others will respond with "Adeverat c-a Inviat"  (He is risen indeed).   This will last for 40 days until the Ascension.

 

• "Invierea Domnului" (Resurrection of the Lord)  At 12am sharp, people gather at their respective church to sing Easter hymns and light candles.  The priest lights his candle first, after which all the people light their own candles from the first one with the "light of Jesus's life". They take these candles home and give the "light" to the members of the family that did not attend the service.  After candles are lit, the congregation walks around the church 3 times to represent Jesus' Resurrection on the third day following the Crucifixion.  The priest will then knock on the closed church doors three times while uttering specific phrases.  The people fill the church to the gills in order to participate; it's standing room only and there is barely room to adjust your weight from foot to foot.  When the service finishes, people line up to receive communion in the form of mixed bread and wine that they spoon into large glasses for their families.  After they return home, each member of the family will partake of the "blood" and "body" of Christ  3 times, each time saying "Hristos a Inviat" while family and friends chime in "Adeverat a Inviat!" 

• Eggs are broken in a particular manner.  The tradition of knocking is as follows: two people hold eggs in their hands and they break the other person's egg saying "Christ is Risen." The person that has their egg broken is considered weaker and must give their egg to the winner in some cases, but in my experience a response of "Christ is risen indeed" suffices and the eggs are eaten.

I had an amazing Easter in my Transylvanian town, but I still missed Easter dinner with my family back home and the Easter service!  I had 7 dinners this year with friends and as wonderful as those were...they just aren't the same.  I could really go for some stale Peeps also!  I wish you all "Paste Fericit" (Happy Easter), and if we should talk in the next 40 days be prepared to hear a "Hristos a Inviat" from me.