Easter in Ukraine

On Palm Sunday the people of Ukraine bring pussy willow branches to the Orthodox Ukrainian churches to be blessed, since Palm branches do not grow in Ukraine.  This special day is called Willow Sunday.  After being blessed the willow branches are often displayed in the home in a place of honor until they are replaced next spring.  The willows will bring good luck and health.  The entire week before Willow Sunday is Willow week. 
The following week is called Holy Week.  During this week baskets have replaced willows in the venders' stalls.  These baskets will hold the special breads which will be taken to the churches on Easter Sunday to be blessed by the priests.  Easter scarves to cover the baskets are also sold by the street vendors. Scarf designs are in the traditional Ukrainian colors and patterns, and are very pretty.

 

We received a gift of traditional Easter bread and scarf from our special friend, Sister Lidia. (above)

Services are held in the churches where the Easter breads are blessed (for a fee).

 Sometimes the baskets of cakes and breads are blessed in the churchyard.  Lines of people form beginning at the doors of the church, then wind out to the sidewalks and stretch down the block and around the corner as they wait for the priest to come and sprinkle their offerings with holy water. 


We have never seen the streets of Donetsk so busy on a Sunday morning as they were today.  It gave us a warm feeling to see so many people on their way to church carrying the tokens of their faith.

 In Donetsk it is difficult to find real eggs decorated using the traditional Pysanki methods.  While the patriarch and his wife were in Kharkov Sister Browning was able to find a few which she brought back when they returned to Donetsk.

In Donetsk, just as in California, other non-traditional methods are used for coloring eggs. As an activity after our district meeting on Sunday, the sisters in our district showed us another method for creating hand-painted eggs.

 The main focus of our District meeting was the resurrection and atonement of our Savior and each missionary attending took advantage of the opportunity to share a personal testimony of His importance in their lives.  Our Easter Sunday ended with a fireside at the Klimenski building.  The visiting patriarch and his wife also shared their own wittness of the reality of the atonement.

Beginning with our early sacrament meeting and ending with our evening fireside,  I felt an increased awareness of the significance of this day as I was greeted by each member with a joyous "Христос воскрес", (Christ is risen) to which one should reply "воистину воскрес".  (Truly, he has risen!)   Perhaps my lack of facility in the Russian language was the catalyst.  Of necessity I had to think hard before giving or responding to this greeting.  Whatever the reason, throughout this day my mind and my heart were never far from my Savior and His great love for us. This has been a lovely and uplifting Easter Sunday. We wish the same to all of you!