Several years ago my grandma a social activist by occupation and an atheist by confession changed her believes and became a strong Orthodox. She found peace and strength in her new faith. But the spirit of agitation didn’t vanish completely. Christianity became her new source of inspiration, time by time, grandma involved us more into the faith, bringing back some forgotten traditions and celebrations. So we had to follow up.

I guess Easter is one of the most bright and happy holidays for christians. It occurred that Easter is celebrated on a different Sunday in Eastern and Western christian traditions. The reason for it is a difference in calendars. The Western Church adopted the Gregorian calendar which correlates better with astronomic time, while the Orthodox christians keep following the Julian calender. Therefore the dates differ sometimes significantly, but sometimes coincide. The difference in dates between traditions are secondary to the united meaning of Christ resurrection. In Russian language a word for Easter is Pascha, which is linked back to the Judaic holiday Pasah, when Jews were celebrating their release from Egyptian slavery. Before Easter there is a hard time of fasting -  the Great lent, which last for 40 days. This time symbolizes the 40 days which Jesus spent in the wilderness before being tempted by Satan. The next week is a Holly Week, when the fasting is even more strict and the believers are required to be more diligent in their praying to achieve cleanse in their minds and peace in their souls. During this time the christians eat only lenten food, refusing meat, fish, eggs and all dishes which might contain these products.

This lent is twice as hard for my grandma, as grandfather has died in March and  she is in mourning. She tells me that before there wasn’t a day that she had to spend all alone. It’s a new life for her and we are helping her to adapt. She tries to be strong and she is doing good.

On Holy Saturday we all gathered at grandma place in a small village. The house is full. We are preparing for Easter, colour eggs and make pascha – a feast bread.

The Easter service is special in Russia, it lasts though night from Saturday on Sunday. People start  gathering in church for the ceremony  around 11 pm. My grandma is going too she wears a long dress, a white shawl is on her head, she takes eggs and pascha with her so that it would be blessed by the priest. I wish to go with her, but she insists on me staying at home, she keeps saying that it’s a small church and there won’t be any space as people from the villages around are coming as well. So she leaves and I stay. I miss a unifying spirit of the Easter service, a special sense of togetherness. Though it has been a long time since I attended an Easter service, but I do remember how we stood quietly in the dark cathedral anticipating the begging of mystery. Close to midnight the church quire started to sing and the toll of bells could be heard. We lighted  candles and were passing them to each other so after some time the church filled  up with light, in this way we commemorated the Christ and the Light which He brought to the world. The service reached its culmination when priests with crosses and icons walked through the Altar Gates and we all moved in procession around the church in a symbolic  ’search of Christ body’. I felt a strong connection with people around me, with russians, and with all christians. Finally the  priest  shouted – “Christos Voskrece!” three times which means -  “Christ is risen!”  and we all in one voice replied ” Voistiny Voskrese!” -  “He is risen indeed!”

It’s 2:30 am I am with my aunt sit at the kitchen table, we drink tea and chat, we have a lot to talk about and we never run out of conversations.  Finally we hear how the door opens and grandma walks-in. We rush to greet her. Her eyes sparkle. She grabs us together, kisses three times and passing on the message that Christ has risen! We kiss her back and receive the message with happiness in our hearts.