Easter in Moldova

Happy Easter to Moldova! Yesterday Orthodox Easter was celebrated in Moldova, and today is a public day of rest in celebration of Easter. It is a big week for rest in Moldova in that Thursday, May 9, is Victory and Commemoration Day in Moldova, another day of rest. I am guessing that my phone will not ring this week with news of major activity in the adoption world, but I sure would love to be wrong! Don't get me wrong. I am all for days of rest, but selfishly I would prefer that there be no government holidays until our new little person is being hugged by us.

The next public holiday in Moldova is August 27, Independence Day in Moldova (1991). Pray that we hear great news of a referral by then!

"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait on the Lord, I say."

Psalm 27:14

The Hamptons celebrate Easter (especially Elliot) here in Nashville with smiles

For those who have a thirst for more knowledge regarding Easter in Moldova...

(Taken from worldofmoldova.com)

Easter is the most important religious holiday in Moldova. Easter is a transitioning holiday and the exact date for it is calculated using the lunar-solar calendar. The day of Easter is taken to be on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. And because the vernal equinox usually occurs on the 20th of March and two full moons are a little under 30 days apart, Easter usually happens either at the beginning or at the end of April. Although there have been cases when the Easter holiday occurred at the beginning of May, or at the end of March.

There are numerous Easter related traditions and most of them relate to the Church, after all, Easter is the day when Jesus resurrected. People use a different greeting in Moldova on the days of Easter – they say "Hristos a inviat" which means "Jesus resurrected". And the reply for the greeting is "Adevarat a inviat", which translates to "Indeed resurrected". Some people might actually be offended if you greet them by just saying "Hi, how are you" on Easter.

It is also customary to color eggs in different colors for Easter, although red is considered the traditional color. A large variety of meals are prepared for Easter in Moldovan households, such as Easter cakes and Easter bread, which must be sprinkled with holy water at a church. And of course, lamb serves as the primary meat during Easter. Plenty of other national food is prepared in Moldova for Easter: placinte (a type of filled pastry), galuste (rice and ground meat wrapped in grape wine leaves), mamaliga (cornbread), various salads, soups, main entry meat dishes (especially rabbit and lamb), as well as various deserts. Many people bring all the above mentioned food to be sanctified, not just the eggs and the Easter bread, which usually causes huge lines to form at and near the church. It is advisable to arrive early on.

The second Sunday after Easter in Moldova there is a holiday called "Pastele Blajinilor", which translates roughly to "Easter of the Gentle". People bring flowers to the graves of their family and friends, and exchange gifts with others who came to mourn on this day.