A holiday with strong traditions. How Catholics in Vitebsk celebrate Easter

Topic news One of the main church holidays - Easter - Christians celebrate with family and friends, observing long-established traditions. In addition to the generally accepted ones, each family also has its own special customs, passed on from generation to generation. Catholic believers in Vitebsk, on the eve of the great event, visit the Cathedral Church of Jesus the Merciful to attend the liturgy, light candles and partake of God’s mercy. Parishioners of the temple told a BELTA correspondent what this day means to them and how it unites not only people of different ages, but also different faiths.
The service begins in the church when dusk falls on Vitebsk . A hot and bright fire is lit in the courtyard, a large candle is lit from it, with which the priest goes to the temple, followed by the believers. This is the light that symbolizes kindness, mercy, as well as the victory of life over death, the light to which human souls strive to find themselves in the Kingdom of God.

Both adults and children traditionally gather for the liturgy ; it happens that several generations of the same family come at once - along with grandparents. For everyone who is in the church, this is a special evening, the most important rite, a call of the heart and a tribute to traditions. Young Vitebsk resident Margarita Rutko is from a Catholic family. For all her relatives, this holiday means not only the glorification of Christ, who rose again after the crucifixion, but also unity within one family. “Before Easter, we always observe Great Lent, which lasts 40 days, we do not eat MEAT , and only on Fridays we can eat fish. Adults do not drink at this timeALCOHOL , during fasting we do not attend entertainment events, listen to music or dance. This is how we prepare for the holiday, which helps to cleanse ourselves spiritually and physically," the girl said.

On the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, Margarita helps her mother prepare traditional Easter dishes. Among other dishes, she is trusted to bake gingerbread cookies. The Vitebsk resident herself beautifully decorates them with icing and places them on a plate . Also, the female half prepares beautiful lambs from dough. At the festive dinner, at which everyone, young and old, gathers, candles are lit, those present pray and begin the meal. "We go to church not only on major holidays - Christmas, Easter - but and every Sunday. For me, all these holidays are the same; they are fun and interesting to spend with family and friends. When I grow up, I want to bring all our established traditions into my family, teach my children what I knew and observed from childhood. This helps to unite everyone, to feel that we are united, we are together, and we can do anything,” shared Margarita.

Strong traditions also exist in multi-religious families of Vitebsk residents, where one of the spouses is baptized Catholic, others Orthodox faith. The holy holiday is celebrated in turn in the family of Nella Detkovskaya, who is from a family of Catholics, and her husband is Orthodox. Her children also accepted the Catholic faith, and her son-in-law is also an Orthodox believer. This does not prevent numerous relatives from gathering on a bright day at a common table and to be a big, friendly family. Here everyone supports each other and lovingly accepts the traditions of both faiths. The Vitebsk resident emphasized that belonging to the Catholic and Orthodox churches does not separate, but on the contrary makes relatives closer. "Easter is sacred, it is a holiday that brings something - something new, bright, good, so we always prepare for it. We bake buns and invite our relatives. On our table, in general, we have holiday dishes familiar to all Catholics, including colored eggs , Easter cakes, and homemade buns. During the day, we always illuminate them in the church, and then we all eat together,” noted Nella Detkovskaya.

Previously, when her mother and father lived in the village, before Easter about 10 people gathered in their parents’ house in the village, the women baked sausages in the oven, meat dishes, the feast was magnificent and cheerful. The family has kept a recipe for a very tasty “mushroom” from their great-great-grandmother. This is a dish made from MILK, beaten eggs, a small amount of FLOUR, and SUGAR. It was placed in the oven for 15 minutes, and there it rose above the baking dish like a cap, taking on the appearance of a mushroom, which is why it got its name. It is eaten for breakfast during Easter, and this day begins with a “painted battle” - who will break the most boiled eggs. Nella’s mother, Maria Curtin, who after the death of her husband moved to her daughter in the regional center, also came to the church. For her, Easter is a symbol of strong traditions that have been passed down from her ancestors to the families of her grandchildren, and will continue to be observed by new generations. On Easter morning, before breakfast, she takes the floor, reads a prayer, and then the family begins to eat the blessed dishes. “Easter gives each of us something different, but we still understand that this holiday is when we can join in the grace of God and become closer to the light,” she said.

“Everything we do on Easter and any other church holiday must be done from the heart. Without this, nothing will work,” supported her daughter. Alesya Pushnyakova,

Photo by Alexander KHITROV,

BELTA.