MY FAMILY TRADITIONS

For Ukrainians, Easter is not only multi-colored eastern eggs (dyed colorful eggs) and delicious Easter cake. This is a special holiday when they follow traditions and believe in miracles. There are many beliefs and warnings at Easter. Observing them, everything that comes true comes true.

According to tradition, Easter is preceded by serious preparation:
1. Great seven-week fasting - purification of thoughts, soul and body. Fasting begins immediately after the Carnival. For seven weeks, believers do not eat animal products, refusing to eat completely on certain days or eating only raw food. It is believed that observing the measure of food, a person learns to keep him from other temptations and sins.
2. Great or Clean Thursday - cleaning before Easter. On this day, a person must completely clean himself and the house of everything bad: clean the house, swim until the sun rises in an open pond or take a contrast shower. According to Easter traditions, on this day you need to put the dough for Easter cakes and paint eggs. It is forbidden to make noise, sing, have fun, guess and make trouble.
3. Good Friday - the day of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. This is the most severe and sad day of the week. People pray, attend church services and abstain from food. Under strict prohibition, homework, fun and songs, they say: “whoever sings on Good Friday sings — sheds tears on Easter”. You can not pick up sharp and sharp objects. On Friday, only baking cakes and bread is allowed. The Resurrection of Christ On the night of Sunday, after midnight, the bells ringing announce the Resurrection of Christ and the beginning of the Paschal service. Worship services are held especially solemnly and they continue until the morning. The culmination of the service is the rite of consecration of cakes, eggs, wine, etc. Some of the dishes brought are left in the church for the destitute.

But, many Easter beliefs are associated with Easter: It is believed that at Easter everything becomes visible, even mystical; young children with a pure soul can see all the earthly treasures that glow with lights on this night. At Easter you can ask everything from God. So, old men combed their hair with the thought of their grandchildren, so that they would be according to the number of hairs on their heads. Those wishing to get rich were washed from silverware. The girls asked the groom. We were looking forward to the first strike of the bell. We got up before dawn so as not to oversleep happiness. The girls washed water with red eggs to be ruddy. At Easter, everyone should have fun, otherwise you have to be sad all year.
And what traditions do you keep for Easter?
Olga