Easter weekend

[mendeleyev]

It is finally here, the May 5th Easter weekend in the Eastern half of the world.

If you'd like to learn a little more about what your lady may be expericing if she celebrates Easter, here are a couple of resources:

RWD thread: http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=15776.0


Mendeleyev Journal: http://russianreport.wordpress.com/religion-in-russia/easter-in-russia/

[Slingerland]

Mendeleyev, thank you VERY much for the excellent article on your site.  This week Marina has been sending me photos of her friends preparations, and we've been comparing her Orthodox church's celebration to my Catholic church's celebration of Easter. 
 
Marina and I are probably more "pragmatic" in our religion observances; I go to Mass once or twice a month, and she says she's the same.  But we have friends who are more devout, and we both spend some social time at our churches.
 
When she comes here later this month, I'm thinking about taking her to the Orthodox church service.  While it's Greek Orthodox, they have a number of FSU ex-pats there.  I know the priest socially, and he's a good man.  But it will depend upon whether she wants to go of course.  And if not this trip, maybe a later one.

[mendeleyev]

Cool, glad that you enjoyed it.

If she goes with you the liturgy will be exactly the same. Other than hearing a combination of Greek and English instead of her "Church Slavonic" language the same things happen in the very same order. Even the songs will be the same but the Greeks will sing them in the Byzantine/Greek style which are most Middle Eastern sounding while the same songs back home in her church are sung to ancient, but more Western style music.

[Kokopelli]

[Slingerland]

A bit of humor... she and I were talking today about her upcoming trip.  I asked if she wanted to visit the Greek Orthodox Church... instead she was more interested in visiting the Catholic Church I'm a member of.  She says she's never seen a Catholic service, and the Greek Orthodox service would be "same old thing" to her, but in the wrong language! 

[Kokopelli]

A bit of humor... she and I were talking today about her upcoming trip.  I asked if she wanted to visit the Greek Orthodox Church... instead she was more interested in visiting the Catholic Church I'm a member of.  She says she's never seen a Catholic service, and the Greek Orthodox service would be "same old thing" to her, but in the wrong language! 

I makes sense to me.
You know about the Great Schism of 1054?
The differences were political.

This Russian Orthodox is very close to my mother's house.
http://www.stmichaelredford.org/
About a 1/2 west on the same road is a Roman Catholic church.
I've met both priests, I liked both of them.

[mendeleyev]

You know about the Great Schism of 1054?
The differences were political.

To a degree, but there were theological divides as well leading to the split. Over the years the theological differences have grown as well. Today a first time RC visitor would be totally lost in an Orthodox service and vice versa although in centuries past they shared the same Sunday liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, still used by Orthodox today.

[Kokopelli]

To a degree, but there were theological divides as well leading to the split. Over the years the theological differences have grown as well. Today a first time RC visitor would be totally lost in an Orthodox service and vice versa although in centuries past they shared the same Sunday liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, still used by Orthodox today.

Could you expand on the theological divides?

[mendeleyev]

Thanks for the question and I'll be very brief in that I have no desire to debate theology with others and it would be a shame if a thread on Easter turned into a debate, which is what normally happens when good questions are answered.

So I've tried to briefly answer your question in a different thread: http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=16022.new#new

[ML]

My Gal woke me up this morning and said an Easter greeting phrase and told me I was supposed to reply with another phrase.  Supposed to repeat it 3 times and kiss 3 times.

So we did it official.

[2tallbill]

My Gal woke me up this morning and said an Easter greeting phrase and told me I was supposed to reply with another phrase.  Supposed to repeat it 3 times and kiss 3 times.

So we did it official.

Well it's important to keep everything official   
(It's important to note that Bill makes a lot of mistakes )


Russian Greeting         (how to say it)
Кристос воскресе!  = Khristos vaskrese! = Christ resurrects


Воистину Воскресе! = Vaistinu voskrese! = Really resurrects


Georgian Greeting (Bill is sometimes wrong)
Christi Agsda = Christ is risen
Jeshmaritad Agsdga = He really has risen

[Larry1]

Georgian Greeting (Bill is sometimes wrong)

Bill, you were in Georgia less than two weeks and Georgians now greet each other with "Bill is sometimes wrong"?

[Slumba]

Well it's important to keep everything official   
(It's important to note that Bill makes a lot of mistakes )


Russian Greeting         (how to say it)
Кристос воскресе!  = Khristos vaskrese! = Christ resurrects


Воистину Воскресе! = Vaistinu voskrese! = Really resurrects


Georgian Greeting (Bill is sometimes wrong)
Christi Agsda = Christ is risen
Jeshmaritad Agsdga = He really has risen

I think in English, it is usually (greeting) Christ is Risen (first phrase), response "He is risen indeed!"

[Gator]

Mendy,
 
Thanks for the information.  It helped me understand the activities that took place over the weekend in my household.  One activity was to write on eggs (see photo).
 
 

[Gator]

Upon seeing the decorated eggs, I surprised the Ruskies by going to storage and finding a souvenir from my first trip to Moscow in 1988 when I visited friends assigned to the Netherlands embassy. 
 
It was Easter and religion was reviving under Gorbachev's government reforms.  It also was a huge celebration period, commemorating  the 1000-year anniversary of Christianity in Russia.
 
I took a tour to Suzdahl, and on the tour bus I met and talked with an American Episcopalian minister wearing his clericals.   At Suzdahl he and I wandered away from the group and entered a small church.  I was amazed by his boldness as he poked around, entering a small room.  From a side door, a man emerged with full beard and some vestments, obviously the church's priest.  He was the size of a bear and not friendly.   
 
The priest looked at us sternly and said something that could only be interpreted as "Who are you and what are you doing in my private chamber?"  The Episcopalian minister removed his scarf to reveal his black and white collar.   The  priest came over and gave both of us a bear hug.  The minister knew a few words of Russian, but verbal communication paled in comparison with gesticulations and smiles and hugs and other demonstrations.   It was a good moment.
 
The priest opened a desk drawer and pulled out two decorated eggs.  He gave one to each of us.  These were real goose eggs  highly decorated in the traditional manner with colored wax without any plastic.  The minister told me that one side was marked "Christ rose" and the other "1000 years Christianity."    The egg is special to me so I have protected it, and Sunday I showed it to my family.  It amazed them.

[mendeleyev]

Gator, great story about meeting that priest in Suzdal. The Golden Ring area is so beautiful and so historic! One of my dreams is to spend a month or more just photographing and detailing the hundreds of ancient villages, churches, and monasteries along the Golden Ring. It is a treasure.

As you related, your eggs have the inscription XB which is xристос воскресе, Christ (is) risen.

[2tallbill]

Bill, you were in Georgia less than two weeks and Georgians now greet each other with "Bill is sometimes wrong"?

Yes and they are correct