After my two months life in Romania (Transylvania) become first serious celebration where i can start even more to feel big differences between countries and cultures!
Till this moment all Latvian Easter traditions for me seems very simple and self-evident, but now i must say - Nem Nem Nem! So let's take a look what Latvians are doing during this celebration!
One of the important thing what i realize - Latvians don't follow a lot to Church traditions, we have a lot more funny things what we do in these days! :) And Easter is celebration for Spring who is coming and Sun who is rising more than before!
So everything starts with "Palm Sunday" (last sunday before Easter - in this year 1st of April and in Latvia its not called really Palm Sunday... but day the same). One of the oldest traditions are carried on this sunday is beating each other with pussy-willow branches!
You need to be the first one in morning who run into the room and beat others with saying in that time: "illness out health in!" (and a lot of other sayings what is hard to translate in English)! Remember this very good from my childhood when we was afraid to sleep long in that day, because mother brought Easter health in early morning!
In Easter we are painting eggs in onion leaves - then it's become beautiful brown. But its not just putting eggs in water and boil it.. there are very complicated process before!
We put on eggs natural materials like little leaves, wood sticks, flowers, pieces of coniferous trees also can be used rice, pearl barley and anything else what you can even imagine! Cover all that with peace of textile or thread and just then put in water with onion leaves and boil! :)
All this process the most excited part is when can took off all materials and see what left on eggs. Its always a little piece of miracle!
And after that we are fighting with eggs to find out who have the strongest one and eat it with a lot salt - then we are not telling lies all year! And we have also competition with eggs who rolls it to the longest way! Like in following picture!
And one more very important tradition ar swinging in Easter! Everybody are searching for some swings during the celebration! Strange why? Were simple... If you are swinging at Easter mosquitos dont bite you at the summer!
And in City centres are big celebrations with concerts, souvenir markets, swings, songs and dances and egg competition! The people come together to celebrate Spring solstice when the day become longer that the night! And summer is not as far away any more!
Ah and i remember that eggs are bringing Easter Rabbit! And parents (but meant rabbit) for child's usually hide eggs in garden or house and they go out and search for them!
It's a small review how i see and feel my Easter and how Latvians are celebrating it from long past ago! A bit strange in this year to be in Romania and don't find so usual things! But it's good chance to see more and to aware how different cultures are all over the world!
Ieva
