Hello and Happy Easter to everyone celebrating this occasion today! This year, the cheerful and blessed day falls on the same date for both Western and Eastern Christians. All the Orthodox Christian churches held the solemn Easter services all the Saturday night long. Ukrainian ladies of all ages spend the whole night in churches while services with vigils, with their Easter food baskets to be blessed and Holy Light to be received. After this ritual people return home to celebrate Easter with meat meals breaking their fast because the Great Lent is already over!

“Christ is Risen!” – “Truly He is Risen!” This traditional Easter greeting sounds everywhere today. Worshippers’ form of sign and countersign, it means that Easter has begun. And one can greet each other with these words wishing all that is best on earth – all good and love. That’s the custom of kissing one another with this greeting thrice repeated, and offering then a colored egg as well. There is a special ritual custom of exchanging with painted eggs to each other, blessed eggs are especially valued. Kids eagerly exchange pysanky or krashanky, and crack them while egg cracking game. That is a battle! One is to crack another kid’s egg hitting it, and the looser has to eat his cracked egg.

This day is considered to be a day to be spent with family or friends after church services. People visit their relatives, take a rest and EAT! Some extra kilos in two days? Oh Gosh, the ease of it! It’s also a perfect idea for a spring picnics. A lot of people take this opportunity of breaking the Lent to enjoy first barbeques or grilled meat eating it in the open air. Ask your Ukrainian bride to invite you to such “breaking the fast” – meal is especially delicious there.

A happy and blessed holiday to all our users we wish! Step2Love heartily congratulates you with this holiday and wishes you peace, love, wisdom and the fulfillment of all your hopes today! Happy Easter!