March 29, 2010—Orthodox Easter/everything is just a little more hardcore.
Tomorrow is Easter here and after tonight “Lent” or «Пост» is technically over. Back in the states I remember people saying they gave up fast food or coffee for Lent, I personally never really cared to give up anything. My opinion is that if you truly think something is that bad for you that you will give it up for 40 days, you should probably just quit it all together and not beat around the bush. For some within the orthodox religion the act of fasting can been taken to a much higher level than what I have seen in the states. I may be experiencing that stark difference because of the Lutheran upbringing that I experienced just wasn’t quite as gung-ho about giving up their precious bacon-wrapped steaks. For some in the Orthodox religion it means no kissin’ or lovin’ or even kebabs (both literally and figuratively). I observed my babooshka truly fast as the beginning for three days where she only drank water and yet still worked all day, while I took to taking overeating-induced comatose naps by the handful. Even with my protest of not wanting to eat meat during the 40 days of Great Lent, she still insisted that I meet my daily quota of kielbasa consumption—she is a stubborn brute that I very much respect. Especially the more I come to understand just what it is she is saying, I have realized that half the time that she talks, she is talking in metaphor or quoting a passage from the Great Farce. It is funny because I believe she tells me the same ones all the time, but it just takes me forever to figure out what exactly they mean. So, from what I have observed she has made it all the way to the day before Easter and now she has to walk to church with all the sweet bread that she has been slaving over the last few days (which she also can’t eat—eggs (true vegetarians if you ask me, contrary to mainstream vegetarians)) at midnight and stand for 5-6 hours straight (not falling asleep). At the end of the 6 hours stand, everyone exits the church and circles it displaying their respective baskets of multi-colored eggs, sweet bread and whatever else they decide to furbish the basket with, only to have the Father fling holy water over the crowd using a basil plant dipped holy water. Only at that point does everyone get to eat and drink as they please again. Amen. I have about 8 hours to decide if I want to go to church tonight with her or not… We shall see.
Peace out folks
The sweet bread:
Peace out folks
