Easter in Ukraine

Easter is a great religious holiday. It is a feast of Christ`s resurrection. Nowadays Easter is a

state holiday in Ukraine. Easter is celebrated according to the Moon calendar on the first
Sunday after the first full spring moon. Easter in Ukraine is called “Velykden”. Easter is a
historical combination of pagan and Christian traditions. Velykden was celebrated thousands of
years ago as the victory of the Light over the Dark, Day over Night, Spring over Winter.
The last Sunday before Easter is called Willow Sunday. On this day pussy-willow branches are
blessed in church. People tap each other with these branches repeating the wish “Be as tall as
the willow, as healthy as the water and as rich as the earth!”
40 days before Easter all Christians take up a strict Lent, avoid eating meat and dairy products.
By tradition, it is not desirable to sleep in the Easter night. In the evening people go to church
for the service, bringing in beautiful baskets the variety of foods- Paskhas (Easter cakes),
painted eggs, meat and food products to bless them after the service. As a rule, Easter service
begins at midnight. Thousands of lights of believers` candles illuminate the temple that night!
After the service people go home to celebrate Easter with their families. All the people
exchange Easter greetings and give each other painted eggs. On this day Ukrainian kids play
their favourite Easter game: knocking the eggs. If you knock somebody`s egg and your egg is
not broken, then you are the winner!

Answer the questions.

1 Is Easter a national holiday?
2 When is it celebrated?
3 What kind of holiday is Willow Sunday?
4 How do Ukrainians celebrate Easter?
5 What Easter traditions does your family observe?