Discover Moldova with #MOLDPRES: How Moldovans celebrate Easter

Easter Traditions and Customs. How Moldovans Celebrate this Holiday

The Resurrection of the Lord, or Easter, is one of the most awaited and revered religious holidays commemorating the fundamental event of Christianity, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – the great guide of humanity, considered the Son of God. Easter is the holiest holiday in the Christian calendar, followed by Christmas.

For Orthodox Christians, Easter signifies the passage from death to resurrection and eternal life. The life and death, resurrection, commandments of Jesus − a certain example to be followed by all Christians for immortality. Every year, the Holy Easter is celebrated in spring.

The Easter holiday involves lengthy stages of preparing the body and soul for meeting and celebrating it. A string of customs is observed, practiced on the eve of this holiday, which take place during the Great Lent for seven weeks.

For Easter holidays, Christians dye red eggs. The origin of this custom is lost in the mists of time. The egg is considered a universal symbol of birth, in Christian religion more frequently attributed to the symbol of rebirth, immortality and is also part of nature and vegetation's resurrection symbols.

The custom of dyeing Easter eggs was practiced by our ancestors from ancient times. Initially, the eggs were painted primarily red, but over time other colors started being used. In traditional egg dyeing practices, natural dyes are used: flowers, leaves, fruits, and tree barks. Unfortunately, today some dyeing ways have been forgotten, replaced with chemical ones, harmful to health. Alongside single-color dyeing, egg decorating with various decorative motifs was and continues to be practiced. It's important to note that this custom has turned into a true art nowadays.

On the night of the Resurrection, believers go to church for a religious service and the blessing of Easter foods. In the Easter basket, housewives put red eggs, Easter bread, meat dishes, cheese, etc. The foods brought to church this night symbolize resurrection and abundance. In ancestral tradition, it was customary, when returning from church, to keep the fire lit, bringing light into the home and household.

Arriving home, before sitting at the table, Christians wash with fresh water in which a red egg, a white egg, and a silver coin are placed „to be clean, healthy, rosy and wealthy throughout the year.”

When sitting down to eat, Christians partake of the blessed foods, not before greeting with the expression „Christ is Risen!”, with the response „Indeed, He is Risen!”. The Easter table is characterized by the richness of the dishes, dyed eggs, Easter bread, etc. Traditionally, roasted lamb is served for Easter.

The lamb sacrifice at this holiday is borrowed from pre-Christian practices, marking the beginning of the time renewal period. The lamb killed at Easter is symbolically identified by Christians with Jesus Christ, reminding of His physical death.

In the past, at Easter, particularly on the second and third days, many villages organized games and village dances, where villagers of all ages came. Traditionally, on Easter days, Moldovans engaged in „rocking.” The payment for this pastime was red eggs. It was believed that those who rocked would have tall crops and good fortune all year long. On the second day of Easter, it is customary for godchildren to visit their godparents with gifts: Easter bread, cake, red eggs, sweets, etc.

Currently, many Easter ancestral traditions and customs are valued both in Moldovan families and during various cultural and ethno-folkloric events.

One Easter Cake or Another? What’s the difference?

The differences between the cakes, traditional Easter preparations, stem from each one's different history, dating back thousands of years. Moreover, the two bakes are among the first mentioned in the country’s gastronomic history.

Which are the differences between the two? Among the first Romanian preparations mentioned in history, these two bakes are thousands of years old, tracing their origin back to antiquity. Gradually, they became associated with major Christian holidays, especially the Resurrection of the Lord.

Among the First Romanian Preparations in History

The cake and Easter bread are, in a way, „brother and sister” on the Easter table of Romanians. Prepared in different ways, they acquired a Christian dimension, although the religious aspect was present during paganism or remained in Judaism when speaking of Easter bread.

The first bakes appeared during the ancient Egyptians - whom we owe, among other things, the process of doughs leavening with the help of yeasts - but saw significant development during the Greeks and Romans.

For the first time, we find this cake-Easter bread „duet” used in religious rituals.

Ancient Greeks prepared for these events, as an offering to the gods, „plakous” and „satura” – two flat bakes filled with cheese and raisins - similar to Easter bread - or with nuts and honey, like cake.

Romans, on the other hand, prepared „libum” - a rectangular-shaped cake dedicated to the gods - and „placenta”, round with cheese, from which we have inherited another term: „plăcintă”, according to www.gastroart.ro.

Both transferred to the Christian world, in Rome and Constantinople, alike.

In a document housed in the archives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, there is an interesting mention for us, Romanians.

A thousand years ago, when Vicina Metropolitan See - now submerged, possibly near Călărași - still stood, a delegation from north of the Danube came with gifts to the Patriarch of Byzantium on the occasion of that year’s Easter holidays.

The representatives of the Wallachians brought with them, among other things, a „placenta” with „brândza”, most likely Easter bread with cheese.

This is, in fact, one of the first recordings we have of what was being cooked in Romanian territories, before the establishment of Romanian medieval states.

Easter bread and cake, used in religious rituals

Easter bread - in Hebrew „mața” - is made from unleavened dough, obtained from a mixture of water and one of the five cereals: wheat, rye, barley, oats or spelt.

In Jewish tradition, Easter bread - or matzah - is nicknamed „poor man’s bread” because poor Jews continued to eat it even after Passover.

The „Book of Exodus” in the Old Testament tells that Jews left Egypt in great haste without time to prepare leavened bread. In remembrance of this event, they eat only Easter bread for eight days instead of regular leavened bread.

Over time, this simple, unleavened Easter bread, devoid of filling or flavors, transformed into a very delicious traditional dish, based on cake dough, cottage cheese, raisins, and flavors.

The Christian Easter tradition of consuming lamb and Easter bread originates from the Jewish custom of eating lamb with unleavened bread (matzah) and bitter herbs, in memory of the hardships faced by the Jews because of Egyptian bondage.

Both lamb meat, broken Easter bread or red wine have become Christian symbols of Jesus' sacrifice, who gave Himself for the forgiveness of mankind's sins.

Prepared before the Resurrection, Easter bread is baked on Holy Friday or Holy Saturday, and its shape reminds of the swaddling clothes of baby Jesus Christ.

However, the shape gradually changed from the classic round one, with traditional twists and braids on the edges, to rectangular or square shapes, decorated with stars or other Easter symbols: bunnies, lambs from plain or colored dough.

Besides Easter bread, other bakes are made from the same leavened dough, such as grandmothers, grandfathers, colaci, round or elongated cakes, the shape symbolizing the place where Jesus was buried, according to www.dincolodevarfcom.wordpress.com.

Easter bread is taken to church to be blessed at the Resurrection service, and consumed on the first day of Easter. Tradition says that those who eat blessed Easter bread will be protected from diseases all year.

Still, the most frequently used symbol for decorating Easter bread has remained the cross, reminding of the moment of the Savior's crucifixion.

On the other hand, older Romanian dictionaries define cake as „a bread“ made from leavened dough, with eggs, butter, sugar, etc.

Since 1960, during communism, dictionaries mention cake as „a pastry“ from leavened dough, etc., and only rarely as „a food product“ from leavened dough kneaded with milk, eggs, butter, sugar, and spices.

The same dictionaries specify that pastry is a bakery product, usually consumed as a dessert, made from the same ingredients indicated for cake, and bread is a basic human food or food product made, like cake, from dough and various ingredients, leavened and baked in an oven, according to www.europafm.ro.

The first mention of cake on our country’s territory is found in 1695, in the Cookbook from Cluj, practically the first of its kind appearing in Romania’s historical regions. There is no dedicated recipe in that volume, but cake appears as a bread substitute in various recipes.

Editor: Lilia Grubii; Photo: Mihai Vengher