The Easter holidays come with multiple traditions that are observed in the families of Moldovans, including the preparation of food with religious significance. Mentioning the lamb sacrificing tradition, the scientific secretary of the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History Andrei Prohin stated for IPN that the lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ who died for the sins of the humans to be forgiven. In the past, it was believed that the food that is blessed in the church has magical powers. The salt and pig fat were used in case of disease or to protect the home from evil. The candle taken from church was lit when there were thunderstorms.
There are also many folk legends about the painting of eggs in red color. Most of them say that when Jesus Christ returned to life, the Mother of God or the apostles told other people about this miracle, but these didn’t believe. Some said they would believe if the eggs would turn red from white and the eggs became red indeed. In memory of that fact, the people paint the eggs red. Also, the people knock eggs by the tradition saying that when eggs are knocked, the stones from the grave of Jesus Christ are broken and he is helped to come out of the grave. This tradition should be observed mostly by the members of a family. For example, when one gets lost in the forest and starts to think about the person with whom they knocked egg, they find a way out.
Another old Easter tradition teaches us how to dress up. The clothes must be clean and neat and they used to sew new shirts for the Easter holidays. On Saturday before Easter, they used to swim. They say that one should not sleep on Easter Sunday as those who will sleep then will be sleepy throughout the year. On Easter Night, it is recommended not to sleep. The rule does not refer to children, older persons and those with poor health.
On Easter Sunday and during the next days, they used to set up swings in villages in the past. To use the swing, one had to pay the tax – one egg. They also staged games for children, like the rolling of eggs down a hill. Egg decoration is a very important tradition and a real art. Different vegetal motifs, work tools or Christian symbols are painted on eggs with wax.
Museographer of the Transylvanian Museum of Ethnography Sebastian Paic said that in parts of Romania, shells of decorated eggs are thrown on running water as they believe that the waters gather in one place and form that mythological river called “Saturday Water” that goes down to the other world and the eggshells announce the resurrection of Christ there.
On Easter, the people greet each other with “Christ is Risen!” and the answer is “He is Risen Indeed”. This is typical for Moldova and Romania, but not everywhere. In Maramureș, such a tradition is not observed. But there, on Easter Night they go to church with decorated eggs and after the Paschal Vigil they go to cemeteries and eat those eggs there, throwing the shells on graves. This tradition was inspired, as many others, from a series of customs related to the cult of the ancestors.
