209. Memorial Easter

In Moldova the Sunday or Monday after Orthodox Easter (Orthodox Easter was a week after our Easter) Orthodox Christians celebrate Memorial Easter.  This is a celebration to honor and remember those that have died. 

This holiday was very interesting for me.  I am use to American cemeteries in which the only events that take place in are funerals and maybe a Memorial Day event.  On Memorial Easter the cemetery is very lively, it is filled with people eating and drinking and remembering loved ones.

I showed up late, but from what I understand in the morning people place a cloth on the grave and then place special bread, a colored egg (red), some candy, and a slender church candle.  This is later given to other people and saying, “for the soul of…”.  This is sort of a sacrifice/tradition in the belief that the person’s soul has all he or she needs in the afterlife.

Beside most of the graves are small tables and chairs where the food is placed that will be eaten by the family members of the deceased.  The priest then comes through burning incents and praying/singing.  He makes a cross by pouring wine on the graves while saying a blessing.  The families usually give some money and one of the bread arrangements that was on the grave to the priest/church.

After those festivities people continue to eat and drink and socialize.  There were tons of people.  Eventually around lunch time the celebration moves home.  I arrived at around 1pm and there were still a lot of people in the cemetery, but most had already left.  I ate a little food and drank some wine with friends.  We then went home and some family members and the god couple of my host family (in Moldova every newlywed couple selects a slightly older couple to be their godparents and to support the new marriage).