Where is Moldova, anyway?

Welcome to the Moldova version of Orthodox Easter. For argument’s sake, I’m going to refer to it also as the “hardcore” version – based on length of service, lack of chairs, lack of the ability to have the service inside a building, and finally lack of olives and feta following the service… intrigued? Read on. Because I was lucky enough to be home last year for Easter (or unlucky enough to be sick), I didn’t get a chance to experience Easter in Moldova, without question the biggest celebration of the year here.

Preparations for Easter started 3 weeks ago, when, as if out of no where (to the outside observer, me), EVERYONE (and I mean everyone) went on a gigantic 2 and a half week long cleaning spree. They cleaned everything. The sides of buildings that had been mud covered all winter, shook out rugs, swept the streets (a hard thing to do considering the streets are made of dirt anyway), moved around everything in every house / store / office to get ready for Easter. Trees were planted, gardens raked, children given hair cuts. I asked my host mom what the rush is, why don’t we do a little now and a little after Easter (the weather hadn’t been good enough to put things outside at this point). She just said, this is what we do – everything needs to be clean for Easter.

Personal preparations for Easter also took place through fasting, the same regimen as Orthodoxs in America hold. Although here, while they gave up meat and animal products (which is hard to do on a Moldovan based diet), I didn’t really feel like anyone was fasting. As in, yes they were abstaining from some food groups, but we went to parties that had many deserts “for the fast” that were okay to eat, cookies were made so they are okay to eat, etc etc. I guess it just didn’t feel “fasty.” Almost everyone holds the fast, so I guess there is a huge market for these “altered” foods that are okay to eat before Easter.

I, personally, did not fast. If you are reading this blog, and you know me, you are aware that my time in Moldova has been riddled with stomach problems, ghiardia and bad water caused infections. I am now finally feeling a lot better, and am on a strict diet prescribed by my Peace Corps Doctor. She advised me to not follow the fast, something my host mother agreed was a good idea. So I really didn’t have any problems during the fast, I wouldn’t eat with my host mother because I felt bad eating meat in front of her. But about a week ago, I was coming back from a presentation in another village, waiting at the bus stop for the bus, eating my lunch, and I was verbally attacked by some old lady (babushka we call them here) for eating a yogurt. AND she took my yogurt!!!

The conversation went like this:
Lady: Dear one, what are you doing here?
Me: Waiting for the bus.
Lady: No I meant in general, with your life, Don’t you believe in God? Don’t you want to be
good?
Me: Excuse me?
Lady: You clearly can’t believe in God because you are eating yogurt during holy week.
Me: I do.
Lady: You don’t!!!!!
Me: You don’t know what I believe.
Lady: I do, I see you eating that, God forbid (crosses herself).
Me: (being defensive at this point) You don’t know anything about me, or how I live my life
every day.
Lady: I read in the bible that the anti-christ is coming, you will probably end up following
him even though you see the mark of the 6’s on his face.
Me: Huh?
Lady: You don’t believe me!? I read it in the bible!!!
Me: I’d rather not discuss this anymore.
Lady: Americans worship the devil.
Me: (nothing)
Lady: My priest told me so.
Me: (nothing)

Edited for your convience- We then dove into a long debate about God, lifestyles, Americans vs. Moldovans in terms of faith, and using the priest as a venue to speak to God. Lesson Learned: don't have a theological debate in your non-native tounge until you are 100 percent fluent. Resume actual conversation between me and said lady.

Lady: You should change your life, go talk to a priest.
Me: You know nothing about me. And even if I am a bad person, it’s not for you to judge.
Lady: I’m not judging you, I am helping you. (takes my yogurt from my hand).
Me: (I leave and wait for the bus in the rain, unwilling to listen to her anymore).

That was a little detour into the world of spiritual lectures. Personally, this month I was a little fed up with people claiming they are Christians because they hold the fast, or follow this or that rule (not working on Sunday), but who don’t act like Christians in their daily life, and don’t take care of people around them. So, I couldn’t really be that patient with her….

Now for the main event, Easter!

The day before Easter we prepared lots and lots of food, and dyed eggs. We dyed some bright red to bring to church, and died another bunch a deep reddish-brown for us to eat. The ones we dyed for us to eat we didn’t use dye, but instead used onion peels. It worked really really well.

The night before Easter we gathered in the woods around a fire, which started around 6pm. It seemed like the whole village was there. The idea behind the fire, as I understood it, is burning away the bad. Then we all went home and cleaned up for the church service, which began at 8pm. I went, head covered of course (women have to cover their heads in churches in Moldova), with my host brother. We stayed for 4 hours, and did many of the same rituals that we do at St. Anthony’s (it’s always interesting to me to see the same actions and traditions performed but in different languages and settings). Walked three times around the church, knocked on the door, etc etc. We went home at midnight, the service not being even near to over (there are no benches in this church). Got home around 12:30, and slept for two hours. Then we woke up and walked back to the church around 2:30 am. This time we took with us not only candles, but a basked filled with meat, died eggs, “Easter Bread”, fruit etc.

The problem is that almost the whole village (90%) is Orthodox, and the church is very small. So when we got back to the church, people had already started to line up and stand around the church. Moldovans hold orthodoxy very tightly as a religion/culture thing, but not many go to church weekly (in fact, very few go), so space isn’t normally a problem. The second half of the Easter service was held outside, from 3am – 7:30 am. People stood around the church, in the street, etc – with their basket of food placed in front of them. Even on Easter, not everyone can come to church – only a few representatives from every family, there just isn’t room.

I have been to these services before, and always grown tired of holding a candle for THAT long. However, here in Moldova, I appreciated the candle-holding because it kept me warm (or at least warmer!). Towards the end of the service, the priests walked around and “blessed” us and our food with holy water. This was no sprinkling from the aisle. In fact there are no aisles. This was an in your face, now you are soaking wet holy water dosing. I think I’m good for the next 3 years, actually. I think it’s both their tool (a huge bush thing, and a bucket – no whimpy official holy water holder) and their attitude, they know everyone so they get right up in your face, smile and douse you. They have good arc, aim and pitch, too.

After receiving the blessing everyone packs up their food and heads home. We (my host brother and I), then met with my host mom at our house, where we ate the blessed food. Then we, of course, had an egg breaking contest. (Interesting discovery, there is a word in Romanian that I thought meant “to toast” because it was always used when someone proposes a toast and everyone clink’s their glasses together. But we used that same word for knocking the eggs together, so know I know it means “to knock together.” Learn something new every day). I won for our house!!! This then led to us all leaving the house and walking around the neighborhood egg-brawling with the winners from the neighbors house. As you do it, when you crack someone’s egg you get to keep it. I ended up with 8 or so eggs. Yummy!!!

Then finally, when I lost, as all good (non-wooden, TATIE!) eggs do, we came back into the house and washed our face with a red egg, a white egg and some coins – to make sure we are healthy, prayerful and have enough money for the next year. Or so the tradition goes. We ended the day (at around 10am now) by going to sleep until 1 or 2, and then waking up to eat, of course, lamb. I really enjoyed Easter here, even without peeps or chocolate (seriously, I didn’t eat one morsel of chocolate all day. Can you believe that). It was very peaceful, very beautiful the ceremony outside, under the stars, and interesting how it was a celebration that the whole entire town took part in, something that you don’t find in America too often – although it was very, very tiring. I don’t know if I would have made it had we stayed for the entire ceremony, those 2 hours of sleep were golden to me.

I even had a special treatment at church when the priest looked at me and said “Christ is Risen” in English, throwing off the alternating between Russian / Romanian rhythm. I appreciated it though. Now, for the next 40 days, people will use the “Christ is Risen” / “Truly He is Risen” refrain to say hello and greet each other, on the street, on the phone, etc. It’s interesting to listen to. I am already forgetting, one day after Easter.

All in all it was a good day- Happy it didn’t rain on us, standing outside at Church. Sad I couldn’t be home though – and that I didn’t get to call either! Next year. But until then.

Al'Masiah qam!

This entry was posted on Monday, April 28, 2008 at 12:20 PM.