Easter is the feast of Christ's resurrection, which in its observance combines both pagan and Christian elements.

In Ukrainian, Easter is called Velykden (The Great Day). It has been celebrated over a long period of history and has had many rich folk traditions that are not longer fully preserved. Easter is still the time of spiritual purification and there are a lot of places for that. Our region is not an exception and we offer you to take your Lady to Wonderland of Svyatogorsk! She will never forget the Easter if she has a chance to travel to the holy places situated in Donbass region, to feel the spirit of the holiday and the wind of times!

The last Sunday before Easter (Palm Sunday) is called Willow Sunday (Verbna nedilia). On this day pussy willow branches are blessed in the church. The people tap one another with these branches, repeating the wish: " Be as tall as the willow, as healthy as the water , and as rich as the earth!"

The week before Easter, the Great Week (the Holy Week), is called the White of Pure Week. During this time an effort is made to finish all field work before Thursday, since from Thursday work is forbidden.

On Passion ( Strasna) Friday - Good Friday - no work is done. In some localities, the Holy Shroud ( plashchanytsia) is carried solemnly three times around the church and, after appropriate services, laid out for public veneration.

Easter is the principal spring festival, its rites are closely related to agriculture, to the remembrance of the dead, and to the marriage season; during their performance, praise is given, ritual songs, are sung, and there is much well-wishing. It is a feast of joy and gladness that unites the entire community in common celebration. For three days the community celebrates to the sound of bells and to the singing of spring songs- vesnianky. Easter begins with the Easter matins and high mass, during which the pasky (traditional Easter breads) and pysanky and krashanky (decorated or colored Easter eggs) are blessed in the church. Butter,lard, cheese, sausage, smoked meat and traditional red wine are also blessed. After the matins all the people in the congregation exchange Easter greetings, give each other krashanky, and then hurry home with their baskets of blessed food.(sviachene). Pasky, krashanky and red wine should by all means be present at each table. They symbolize fertility, wellbeing and happiness of every family. The holy feast of Easter can not be imagined without this traditional meal!

The kryashanky and pysanky are an old pre-Christian element and have an important role in the Easter rites. They are given as gifts or exchanged as a sign of affection and their shells are put in water for the rakhmany ( peaceful souls); finally, they are placed on the graves of the dead or buried in graves and the next day are taken our and given to the poor. Related to the exchange of krashanky is the rite of sprinkling with water, which is still carried on in Western Ukraine on the second day of Easter ( Wet Monday, Oblyvannyi ponedilok) ; It is practiced by young people, the boys usually splashing the girls with water.

That is interesting to know

Ukrainian pusanky have a symbolic significance. They symbolize spring, renewed life and resurrection. Pusanky can be made of various materials- poultry( usually chicken) eggs, stone, wood, or clay- and can be decorated by various techniques- by painting with a brush, by dyeing the egg a solid color ( krashanka), by dripping hot wax on the egg before dyeing it ( kapanka), or by scratching a design on a dyed egg ( driapanka). You can also present your Lady with some special traditional Easter gift that we offer in our BA shop!