Most of the Moldovans, regardless of the country where they are, manage to paint eggs, to bake Easter cakes and to go to church to have them blessed. In Estonia, the Moldovans lack the Resurrection morning, in Portugal they hold the Easter Eggs Festival, while in Canada a group of Moldovan women come together to bake cakes.
In Estonia, they all paint eggs and bake cakes
Viorica Guzun, the wife of the Moldovan ambassador to Estonia, has told IPN that the Easter traditions of the Estonian Orthodox Christians are slightly different. The food is blessed on Saturday evening before Easter. “I miss the atmosphere and magic of the Resurrection morning, when that spirit of unity is created, when all the people go to church and form those rows of lights and open souls,” stated Viorica Guzun.
For the Estonians, Easter is also an awaited feast. The faithful, who are mainly Lutherans, observe the Resurrection of Christ, while the Estonians who are not faithful regard Easter as the actual coming of spring through the revival of nature. But everyone paints eggs with the help of beet or onion skin or with different flavored herbs and prepares a special cake. As Easter is related to spring and nature, the eggs are painted in natural colors, with natural ingredients and decorations The Estonians knock eggs and roll eggs through grass. They also play different paschal games.
In Italy, the Moldovans wait for blessed eggs and cakes from home
Tatiana Nogailic, head of the Association of Moldovans in Italy “Assomoldave”, said that there are three churches in Rome to which the Moldovans go to have the food blessed on Easter. There are women who work continuously and practically do not have time to celebrate and to go to church on Easter. Many Moldovans receive from home blessed products sent by the relatives from Moldova. “There are also Moldovans who assimilated the Italian traditions. The Easter meal is very modest in Italy. However, in different areas of Italy there are different traditions. Some go to the restaurant, while others profit from the nonworking days and go to vacation,” said Tatiana Nogailic.
The Italians who respect the traditions paint and dye the eggs in different colors. They prepare lamb and different green salads on Easter. They do not eat much. After the lunch, the people go for a walk and organize different games. “They knock eggs in the family where I live, but the eggs are not eaten immediately. They usually put them in salads,” stated Tatiana Nogailic.
The Moldovans in Portugal also keep the traditions
Moldova’s Ambassador to Portugal Valeriu Turea said the Moldovans in Portugal do not forget about the Easter holidays and perpetuate the atmosphere of the holidays observed at home, together with the parents in the family. “Practically all the ten associations organize activities on Easter. The Moldovans from the association “Tezaur” of Faro, in southern Portugal, opened a workshop of arts and handicrafts in concert with the local parochial school. Every Saturday, Moldovans come together and share their experience in crocheting, embroidering, painting, singing and dancing with the children,” stated the ambassador.
The diplomat also said that among the special events is the Easter Eggs Festival organized by the Culture and Arts Center “Three Colors”. It will take place on April 26. The Moldovans in Portugal have all the conditions for painting eggs. “My wife uses onion skin to paint them,” stated the ambassador.
The Portuguese people also consider Easter the greatest feast of the Christian world. They not only clean up, but also paint the houses to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ and life. These preparations are made for what the Portuguese people call “o Compasso” or the paschal visit, when the priest visits the people at home to bless them. Symbolically, this is a visit paid by Jesus Christ. On Easter, they also make presents. The godparents usually give to the godchildren pandispan – a kind of cake made of flour, eggs and sugar. In different regions they organize processions on Easter themes, such as the procession of the Virgin Marry, floral processions and processions with burning candles, and theatrical performances about the sacrifice of Christ.
The Moldovans in Canada can order Easter cakes at the church
Ala Mandacanu, who heads the community of Moldovans in Canada, said the Moldovans keep the national traditions oversees too. “We have here 13 Romanian language churches and 4-5 Russian and Ukrainian churches. We go to church to take communion after fasting. We have here shops with products from Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. We also have paint for eggs. The food is much the same. A number of women come together and bake Easter cakes at home. But we can also order cakes at the church or purchase them at shops,” stated Ala Mandacanu.
The Catholics celebrate in a different way. They take holy water, as they do in Moldova on Epiphany. They fast only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Lent ends on Great Thursday. In Canada, the young people are not very faithful now, following a peaceful revolution against the excessive power of the church in the 1960s. It is the elderly people who go now to church more and that atmosphere of unity is not felt in churches.
The representatives of the Moldovans from abroad wish those from Moldova happy Easter and say “Jesus has Risen!” to them.
Mariana Galben, IPN
