Memorial Easter as a distinctive feature of Moldovans. Interview with Fr. Valeriu Potoroaca, senior priest of “St. Pantelimon” Church

[ - Father, it is known that Memorial Easter (aka Pastele Blajinilor in Romanian, a holiday to remember dead relatives and friends) is celebrated in a reduced number of countries with Orthodox traditions, including the Republic of Moldova. Does it someway define Moldovans? ] The Orthodox calendar has several days dedicated to the remembrance of the dead. One of these is Pastele Blajinilor, but since its date is not established precisely by the Church, it is kept differently in different parts of the Orthodox world, from the next Monday after Low Sunday (8 days after Easter), to Ascension Thursday. Some Orthodox peoples do not keep this holiday at all. Memorial Easter is widely celebrated among East Slavs (especially Russia and Ukraine), known as Radonitsa (the name of which comes from the Slavic word radost, meaning "joy") and less observed in Romania (Bucovina, Maramures, Banat and Dobrogea). The Republic of Moldova, a country at the crossroad of Romanian and Slavic traditions keeps Memorial Easter in a special way, with a national holiday dedicated to its celebration. For us, Moldovans, this is a good feature, a proof of embracing the Orthodox belief and a confirmation of rich Christian traditions. [ - How did this holiday originate and what is its true meaning?] It received its roots from pre-Christian times, when our ancestors were pagans. We have many legends as evidence. However, these myths of pagan essence have nothing in common with the Christian real meaning of the holiday dedicated to the memorial for the departed, characterised by prayers, sharing the joy of Christ’s Resurrection with the departed, in hope of eternal life for the souls of the dead, who we shall join by God’s will. [ - How did this old tradition for Moldovans to pay homage to ancestors change in the course of the history? What should people do and what should we refrain from on this day? ] Pastele Blajinilor is usually kept in Moldova on the Monday of Saint Thomas Week, eight days after Easter. In the times when the Church was oppressed, the believers who wished to preserve the tradition celebrated the holiday on Low Sunday or even on Saturday, days free from work, or sometimes on May 9, the Victory Day. After Moldova declared its independence, this holiday gained particular attention, which, generally speaking, is welcome. However, there are displays of decadent trends starting to emerge, thus shadowing the essence of this day and transforming the Christian traditions into sinful deeds. Some use this occasion of visiting family members’ graves and feasting to show off their riches, welfare, their social rank, and transforming the remembrance of the dead into pompous picnics, often accompanied by barbeque. Pride and booze have nothing in common with the real meaning of the day. People should instead tidy up the graves on the eve of the holiday, and when it comes, should visit the cemetery with Easter cake, painted eggs, and a drop of wine, say prayers for the souls of the departed and remember their good deeds. [ - Let us shed light on the terminology: which of the many names of the holiday is the right one?] We use to call it Pastele Blajinilor or Prohoadele. In some places it is called Easter of the Dead, Little Easter, or Radonitsa. I think that the most appropriate is Pastele Blajinilor, “blajin” meaning kind-hearted. In Slavic it means “happy”. Those departed are truly happy compared to us, for they are in heaven where “no sigh rends the heart, no pain gives agony, no anguish gnaws”.