REMEMBERING EASTER

Once again Easter rolls around and Children will be waiting for their Easter basket to see what the bunny has left for them. Eggs will be decorated and family and friends will gather together to enjoy the feast of the year in celebration that Christ is arisen.

While I celebrate Easter this year, I will be doing what I do every year, reflecting back in time. Remembering all of the Easters that I celebrated growing up.
Easter week brings my Mother foremost to my mind. Her strong convictions, her love of her religion, her dedication to our heritage.
When Momma suffered for the sake of her religion everyone suffered. We all had to fast, but she wasn't as hard on us as she was on herself. She was a wonderful cook and made even fasting palatable.

Then of course there was confession. She made us go to confession as far back as I can remember. If you were to young to have committed any really bad sins there's still two questions the Priest would always ask. Have you been a good girl this year? Of course I would always answer yes, and then the biggie, have you told any lies this year? That's when I would hesitate, Well Father maybe just a little white lie.
I could see that he wanted to smile but he would hold firm and act like I did something terrible and say in his broken English, Oh po, po, po, not even a little white lie, Maria, (translation po,po emphasis something bad, kind of like , 'Oh no, no').
Of course I would have to say, O.K. Father, then he would dismiss me and I would get to have my piece of bread and spoon full of wine. Oh how I loved that warm wine. No grape juice for Greek church.

Greek Easter is one of most beautiful and revered celebrations in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since the Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, Greek Easter does not always fall on the same day as American Easter. It rotates, only once every four years it falls on the same day as American Easter. Oh how I used to look forward to that fourth year, so that when I went to school after Easter and all the girls were telling what they got in their basket I could join in and not have to say I'll get mine later and have to go through the big explanation as to why the 'Bunny' would be detained.

Greek Easter services are beautiful. Church is held at night. At the front of the church is a beautiful simulated casket (but it doesn't look like a casket), it looks more like a canopy bed all decorated in lace and Gardenias with a life size (cardboard), Jesus laying in it. The Smell of the Gardenias are so strong they could knock you out. At midnight all of the lights are turned out and candles are lighted one by one until the whole church is nothing but glowing candles everywhere, then church is dismissed.

Everyone tries to make it home with at least one candle still lighted, for it is good fortune if you can make it home with the candle still lighted and place the fire of it just close enough over the outside above your door so all the smoke from the candle can touch the wall and you make the sign of the cross with the smoke. Then you can blow out the candle and the feast begins. All of our neighbors knew that it was Greek Easter when they would pass by and see the cross of smoke above our door.

There will be lamb, to symbolize the Biblical sacrificial lamb. Easter egg bread to symbolizes the original breaking of the bread that Jesus shared with his disciples. Tons of red dyed eggs, I'm sure you can guess what that symbolizes, and tons and tons of all kinds of food and desserts to make it the most enjoyable feast of the year and the wine. Let us not forget the wine. Of course the fact that you have fasted makes everything even more delicious if that is possible.

So while I will be having our traditional American Easter as my children know it, my heart will be going back in time while my mind will be playing this little video inside of me of Easters past.

Church is where your heart is and since there is no Greek church where I live I will do what I always do, light my candle in front of my Sainted picture and give my 'Thanks' here in my home --and for Momma, some red dyed eggs of course.

HAPPY EASTER