Easter in Russia

The most important Christian festival of the year is Easter.

The origin of the Russian name for Easter, Пасха (Paskha), can be traced back to two possible sources; to an ancient Judaic holiday called 'Pasah' which was celebrated every year for one week during the spring, to mark the date when the Jews were released from Egyptian slavery; and to the Greek word 'pasho' which means “to suffer”.

Russians have celebrated Easter for a long time and have many rich Easter folk traditions.

The last Sunday before Easter is called Willow Sunday (Verbnoye voskreseniye). On this day pussy-willow branches are blessed in the church.

The week before Easter, Holy Week (or Greater Week in Latin), is called the White or Pure Week. During this time an effort is made to finish all fieldwork before Thursday, since from Thursday work is forbidden. On the evening of 'Pure' (also called 'Great' or 'Passion' [Strastnoy]) Thursday, the passion (strasti) service is performed, after which the people return home with lighted candles.

Maundy Thursday, called 'the Easter of the Dead' in Russia, is connected with the cult of the dead, who are believed to meet in the church on that night for the Divine Mass.

On Passion (Strastnaya) Friday – Good Friday – no work is done. For three days the community celebrates to the sound of bells and to the singing of spring songs – vesnianki. Easter begins with the Easter matins and high mass, during which kulich (traditional Easter breads) and pisanki and krashenki (decorated or coloured Easter eggs) are blessed in the church. After the matins all the people in the congregation exchange Easter greetings, give each other krashenki, and then hurry home with their baskets of blessed food.