Coming from a country with relatively strong cultural homogeneity, I began to develop cultural sensitivity during my second year of university, after my first experience of living abroad. Only then did I truly cultivate an appreciation for cultural melting pots. Later on, as I chose to remain an expat (or simply put, a ‘citizen of the world’), I came to understand that every culture holds an intricate sense of belonging.

In general, belonging can be seen as a powerful cultural element that enables the preservation of traditions and their transmission to the next generation. However, without cultural sensitivity toward the outside world, tensions can often arise between people of different groups. Belonging is also an essential part of the human psyche.

As I write this text, I continue to assimilate knowledge about different ethnic groups, celebrations, and customs associated with various religions—each time with a sense of wonder at how they have evolved over time and coexisted in different parts of the world. 

Now and then, as commercial reminders of holidays flood our surroundings and overwhelm our minds, I find myself feeling nostalgic for religious celebrations that are also observed in my homeland, Moldova. Among them, Easter holds a special place, as it embodies the essence of belonging more than any other.

Easter traditions in Christian Orthodox countries differ from those practiced in Roman Catholic ones—due to historical factors in the broader sense and cultural differences in the narrower one.

In most cases, Catholics and Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter separately because their churches follow different calendars. This year, however, Easter falls on the 20th of April for both, a rare occurrence.

In Moldova, Easter is preceded by a seven-week fast that forbids meat, eggs, fish, and dairy products. During Holy Week—the week before Easter—preparations begin in people’s homes, where every corner is thoroughly cleaned.

On Maundy Thursday, women dye eggs red using natural colorants made from boiling onion skins or red beetroot. In Bucovina, Romania, locals have a special tradition of decorating Easter eggs with intricate patterns, mastering the practice to an art form.

The following day, Good Friday, commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Golgotha. Believers fast without water or food until sunset, and meat is strictly prohibited.

On Saturday morning, women wake up early to prepare the Easter bread pasca, a rich traditional loaf filled with a mixture of cheese and eggs. Later that day, they fill their wicker baskets with pasca, salt, poppy seeds, onions, and dyed eggs, and attend the Easter service at the nearest church. At the end of the service, the baskets are sprinkled with holy water by the priests.

Another important part of the Easter night service is the bringing of the Holy Fire and sharing it with everyone present. For Orthodox Christians, the Holy Fire is considered a miracle bestowed by God each year in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where a flame is ignited inside the shrine believed by some to be the Tomb of Jesus.

As a child—and later as a young adult—I often found the Easter night service tiring, battling the urge to sleep. But the next day always felt like a reward, as we gathered around the kitchen table to enjoy the Easter breakfast and knock eggs, greeting each other with, “Christ is risen!”

Image credits: Moldova Travel