Easter in Ukraine
By Ekaterina Pritula
From the history of Easter in Ukraine
The day we celebrate Christ’s rising from the
dead is called Easter. It is always on
Sunday and Sunday is always either in late
March, April or May. But without a calendar
we cannot tell what Sunday Easter will fall
on. The date depends on when the Moon is
full in those months. Easter can never be
earlier than March 22. It can never be late
than May 5.
Ukrainian Easter follows
Great Lent, a time
during which rich
foods are usually
forgone or eaten
sparingly. Worshipers
arrange special foods
in basket which they
take to church on
Easter, morning for
blessing. These foods
may include ham,
sausage, seasonings,
cheese, butter,
’’paska’’, eggs, cottage
cheese, salt,
horseradish,
beetradish and onions.
An Easter egg is called
pysanka. Pysanka
shells have been
found in
archaeological sites
from more than 3000
years ago, and many
of those designs are
still being used on a
pysanka today. We
colour Easter eggs
and given them to our
friends, as a way of
saying, “Spring is
here”. Pysanka
symbolizes life, health,
happiness, fertility,
prosperity.
Palm Sunday, the
week before
Easter, is known in
Ukraine as Willow
Sunday. People
bring home willow
branches which
have been blessed
in church. The
week is dedicated
to preparing for
Easter.