by Yuliia Vasylieva
Happy Easter to everyone! Today, I would like to tell you how Easter is celebrated in Ukraine.
In my country, Easter is called “Velykden”, which means “The Great Day”. It is one of the most important religious holidays in the country and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervour. The celebration of Easter in Ukraine is a mixture of both ancient pagan traditions and Christian customs.
The preparations for Easter start a week before the actual day. During this week, people attend special church services and engage in various religious activities, such as confession, fasting, and praying.
In Ukraine, Holy Thursday is also known as “Clean Thursday”, “Pure Thursday”, or “Maundy Thursday”. In some parts of Ukraine, Pure Thursday is a day for spring cleaning and the ritual purification of homes. People will clean their homes from top to bottom and, in some cases, even paint or renovate their houses in preparation for Easter.
Another important aspect of Pure Thursday in Ukraine is the preparation of traditional Easter foods. Families will spend the day baking Easter bread, known as “Paska”, and preparing other special dishes, such as kovbasa (homemade sausage) and pysanky. Actually, the creation of “pysanky” is one of the most important Ukrainian Easter traditions. Pysanky are beautifully decorated Easter eggs that are made using a wax-resist method. The eggs are decorated with intricate designs and symbols, believed to bring good luck and prosperity.
On Good Friday, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church observes the Passion of Christ with church services that include reading the Gospel and singing hymns. This day is considered a day of mourning. It is usually marked by fasting and abstinence.
The highlight of the Easter celebrations in Ukraine is the Easter Vigil on Saturday night, where people gather in the church and wait for the resurrection of Christ. The church is usually decorated with flowers and candles, and people carry candles lit by the holy fire from Jerusalem. In the morning, after the service, people return home to break their fast with a festive meal.
Easter Sunday in Ukraine is a day of joy and celebration. All Easter foods prepared on Pure Thursday will be blessed during the Easter service on Sunday and shared with family and friends. And “Blessing of the Easter Basket” is another unique Ukrainian Easter tradition. This involves taking a basket filled with Easter foods to church to be blessed by the priest. In the morning families attend church services and exchange greetings, saying “Khrystos Voskres” (Christ is Risen), to which the response is “Voistynu Voskres” (Truly He is Risen). Then people return home for a festive Easter meal.
When it comes time to eat the food from the basket, the hard-boiled eggs take centre stage, especially for children. Everyone has the chance to choose an egg for the traditional egg-smashing contest. Here, opponents and their eggs are pitted against each other in one-on-one “battles”, where eggs are smashed against each other until the surface of one is cracked, revealing a loser. Rounds continue until a sole egg remains. Competition can get heated up. Strategies can vary greatly. That is great fun for family and friends.
Easter in Ukraine is a time to bring families and communities together, attend church, and enjoy a festive meal. The customs and traditions of Easter in Ukraine are unique, reflecting our rich cultural heritage. Happy Easter to all who celebrate!
