Easter is the most significant and sacred time of the Orthodox Church calendar, and it represents the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As more than 85 % percent of Romanians are Orthodox, one will most likely see a series of Orthodox traditions starting 40 days ahead with the lent where one is not supposed to eat anything that comes from animals with blood in their veins. The week preceding Easter is also known as the Holy Week or Great Week and there are a series of special church services every day that reenact the events from the last days of Christ. On the night of Easter (Saturday – Sunday) you will see people gather at midnight with candles to listen to the special mass of the Resurrection, all the lights are turned off and the priest comes outside carrying the Holy Light, believed to be transported from Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem, where a miracle takes place every year, inside the tomb a flame bursts after prayers are being spoken. All the people gathered light their candles from the Holy Light and then each person carefully carries their lit candle home in order to bless their house by drawing a cross with the flame above the entrance for protection from all evil.

The Easter feast is one of joy and a celebration of the renewal of life, in any house you will find on the table the symbolic painted red eggs, lamb steak, pasca and cozonac. The red eggs have a special significance, legend says that after Jesus was crucified, his mother Mary brought a basket of eggs as alms to the soldiers guarding the cross in exchange for letting her take the body and bury it. They refused her, and in her grief she sat and wept at the feet of the cross and one drop of blood fell on the basket turning all the eggs red.

The lamb dishes have a strong religious tie; the sacrifice of a lamb for Easter is one of the oldest traditions dating back to the liberation of Jews from slavery. When the Pharaoh did not allow the Jews to leave for the Promised Land, God sent over Egypt the 10 plagues. The most terrifying of all was the death of all newborn children. So that the Jews were saved by the plague, God asked every family to sacrifice a lamb, anoint the doors and windows with its blood and then roast it together with bread and herbs. For Christians, the lamb symbolizes the sacrifice made by Christ on Mount Golgotha, which brought the liberation of mankind from sin. The white fur of the lamb resembles the white robes of Christ, the purity of the offering. During the Easter feast the most common dishes found are lamb steak and drob (lamb haggis - a mixture of lamb organs and fresh herbs).

Pasca, also referred to sometimes as Easter cheesecake, is a dessert made out of soft bread (similar to Panettone) that is filled with a cheese mixture in the center. It is baked traditionally on Great Thursday or Saturday and taken to church for blessing. It has a round or rectangular shape, can be simple, with jagged margins or have dough braids. The religious symbolism attributed is that the white cheese filling that is added to the traditional dough symbolizes the risen Christ, as well as the Holy Spirit. To break the bread and to pour the wine signifies Jesus’ sacrifice.

From the same type of dough that is used for pasca, you can create another traditional treat, the cozonac. Unlike pasca, this is not a desert cooked only for Easter; it is also made for Christmas and other special occasions. The cozonac is sweet bread made with cocoa, different types of nuts, raisins and/or Turkish delight. It is served normally together with pasca and represents a symbol of the resurrection and renewal of all creation. During Easter church service red wine is poured over cozonac to symbolize the ritual of the sacrifice of Christ.

Want to know more about Romanian traditions? Read on for the stories of Martisor and Dragobete.