Easter a/k/a Paste

paste or easter is obviously celebrated at different times in differing cristian faiths all over the world - although there are not as many orthodox churches in the states (they do exist) - the date is calculated based on two different calendars....all as to do then with spring equinox and an important component is the cycles of the moon and a huge factor is that easter must fall on a sunday - which is a 19 year cycle and the lunar cycle each month is precisely 29.53059 days - new waxing to full and waning. plus the cal year gets all screwed up because a year is esentially 365.2422. (by the way it's interesting to note that march 1st is a big day here - called 1st day of spring even without the equinox - julian cal start - a nice convention for the problems with calendars days not really adding up and the variation of dates with leap year - is to use march 1st as the beginning of the calendar) so easter is calculated with an algorithm (cu Julian Calendar) - prior to 1582 easter was celebrated on the same date by all cristian faiths. a bunch of religious peeps gathered together ultimately sep. east and west and swapped calendars politics and yeah the pope - there was even some attempt to get back on the same cycle but it ain't gonna happen. and in fact easter back, way back in the day was not always celebrated on a sunday.....so now it is and yesterday was easter here and today is easter monday - another holiday. think that easter is on 2 sep sundays works well here in matters of convenience since then some places actually remain open or open late in the day again.

so all of these matters aside of calculating days - here we are with the most important celebration in the cristian faith since with out the resurrection there wouldn't be cristianity at all. (and of course there is a lot of controversy about jesus even existing - but that's not today's subject) the church incorporated the 'pagan' traditions of spring and wrapped it all up into one big celebration. bunnies, eggs, flowers - fertility, new life, etc. some with deeper meaning....so now to the celebration - from thursday church bells stop ringing until saturday - ringing again in the morning of easter sunday. lots of people go to church just before midnight on saturday night, where the priest comes out to give a blessing, distribute holy bread and provide the flame from which everyone will light their candles. gotta say i remember as a child how delicious the 'holy' bread and wine tasted - little cubes of heaven with delicious wine. i didn't actually go to this celebration here this year but as a child we would bring a basket with a bunch of stuff - traditional easter bread, salt, butter (my sister used to sculpt it into a little lamb,) horseradish, egg, some fresh mild sweetened cheese - maybe something else but that is all that i remember. in the dark of the night candles would be lit - flame passed. anyway, next year i'll check it out.

on easter when everyone would descend upon my bunica's house - each person entering would say christ is risen (reason- oops had to correct that freudian slip maybe) and you would reply he is risen indeed. this is the same here but it is said instead when you hit eggs together to 'rupt' the shell - the shell is put aside and kept until the next day when it can discarded. in ro you say -

Hristos a Inviat - Adevarat a Inviat

another symbolism for the egg which has 3 parts, i learned yesterday, is the trinity. so following all of this in the afternoon i went to my first romanian easter celebration - it was awesome. where i got to 'rupt' my egg and stumble on my romanian words. i have to say it was probably the best easter i've experienced in years. hortenzia was the host and the attendees were her mom and two women who are very special to her and her mom and of course moi. so we did shots of tuica and some other stuff can't remember the name, drank homemade wine from a monestary and ate yummy foods - don't know all the names of them but ciorba, salata, lamb, pui and sarmale was served - f'ng fantastic! cause tenzie is a gourmet cook and the table and decor was perfect - i listened to wise women tell stories and fun was had by all. forte bine!!!!! bun! bun! bun! so next are some easter terms in ro and english for those who want to know....f'ng awesome that's all i can say - the evening closed when i met up with chris to pass on a 'care package' from tenzie of yummy foods for her since she had to work yesterday. we hung out in front of the orthodox church gabbing and then i strolled home watching the day change into night - gotta say it was one of the most beautiful days in my life.

Romanian and English Easter Terms

Isus Hristos = Jesus Christ
Postul Mare, Postul Patruzecimii, Postul Pastelui - lenten period
a bine post - fasting
Săptămână Mare - final week beginning with Palm Sunday
Duminica Floriilor = Palm sunday
ziua de joi a Săptămână Mari - thursday b4 easter
ziua răstignirii lui Hristos - good friday (still don't understand why if someone is being tortured and crucified it's called "good" maybe bcause the torture ended??)
Duminica Pascală = Easter Sunday
Slujba de Inviere = Easter Resurrection Mass

thanks to christine and angela (z) for some info included in this post. fetelor you rock!