Paștele Blajinilor (Memorial Easter)

In the Moldovan Orthodox Church they celebrate Easter for the dead.  Everyone from the village that has a loved one in the cemetery.  They clean the cemetery a week or 2 before and then either Sunday or Monday (depends on where you live) after Easter you take baskets of food, house wine, sweets, fruit with about 2 cups.


 At the cemetery they set up bowls with a few snacks in, a towel, candle and red egg. They have a few of these that they give away. They set up food on the table cloth on the grave or the table that they have next to the grave.  They talk to everyone around the cemetery and wait for the priest to come around and give a blessing over the grave and then they give away the bowls of food to friends, then people come over and share the food and wine at your table.  Below are some of the pictures from today. It was a beautiful day and so nice to see the whole village come together to remember those who have gone before them.

A view from the top of the hill that the cemetery is on that overlooks to the Ukraine. 

You can see the tablecloth with the food on. The blessing cost $ too...

 Our host family at the grave of Bunica's husband who was 49 when he had a heart attack while making delivery to the Ukraine.  Her sister died 3 days later of heart attack also. 

 Gifts given from strangers. The poor people (gypsies) from Ukraine came over and collected food from many people in the cemetery .                                                                                                  What it looked like shortly after the blessings were done.            

The gifts given to us. A beautiful tradition which we were happy to be included in. 

 Love from Moldova, Marcy and Tom