Our little Romanian Easter

I totally forgot I had these eggs! I can't put them out because of the impusive hands living here. These are Romania Easter eggs hand painted by a woman from Romania. She lives here in the States now. I bought them off of Ebay. When I was in Romania in 1991 adopting Mr 17 yo (Matthew) in March of that year I saw them on the sidewalk for sale in so many places. I planned to purchase some to take home, but by the time I got around to it they were none to be found. The country women who paint the eggs come in to sell the chicken, goose, and turkey eggs on sidewalks. Apparently they are in abundance only around Easter.

I remember that Easter in Romania so vividly. Just like here in MN, the spring sunshine and birds chirping were such welcoming signs of new life. I had just received Matthew a couple of weeks earlier. I will have to write about that some time. Romania celebrates the Eastern Orthodox Christian calendar. So back home Easter was celebrated a week earlier, the temps in MN were an unseasonable 80 degrees. It was cold, dark, drizzly and gray once again were I was. My roommate and I celebrated with a canned ham we had brought from home. You know those hams with the jellied fat in a can? Well, at that time it was a taste of heaven. Townhouse crackers? I remember actually savoring the buttery flavor in them! Or dry cheerios! They were a comfort and so luxurious.

The week after Easter turned sunny and warm. I watched a couple of trash men in a truck. The man driving was big and burley. He was dirty from hard work, I remember his big, sausage-like fingers ever so carefully peeling the shell off of his hard boiled Easter egg. It was a red egg. He took at least 4 minutes gently preparing his egg, added a bit of salt and then ate his morning snack. All the while his buddy was grabbing trash cans tossing refuse into the truck. The driver was in his own world with his glorious egg, oblivious to what his buddy was doing. From looking at the driver's hands and clothing, my guess was they had switched positions not too long ago. I loved that he enjoyed his egg with such devotion.

Easter day I took Matthew for a walk around the neighborhood. We had an apartment in a poor area. The Romanian lawyer we were working with said I wouldn't be bothered as much there since people wouldn't expect an American to stay in this area. The birds were singing, it was cool outside, but the sun felt warm on our faces. I saw broken egg shells all over the streets. I thought it was odd that they were all red in color. Why were there so many egg shells on the streets?

Once I returned home to MN I learned: Romanian folklore presents several Christian legends which explain why the eggs are painted in red on Easter and why they became the symbol of the celebration of Christ's Resurrection. The most wide-spread legend tells us about Virgin Mary, who came to mourn her crucified son, laid the basket with eggs near the cross and they reddened because of the blood that was flowing from Jesus' wounds. The Lord, seeing that the eggs reddened, said to those who were there: "From now on, you too shall paint the eggs in red to remember my crucifixion, as I did today."

That explained the red, but why so many shells on the streets? I found that answer too.

Easter is the most important event in the Orthodox Christian calendar. Traditionally, celebrations in Romania begin on the Saturday evening. Dressed in all their finest clothes and holding candles, people gather round the churches. At the Easter Resurrection Mass just before midnight, the priest comes out to give a blessing, distribute holy bread and provide the flame from which everyone will light their candles. Everyone tries to keep the flame alive until they arrive home. There, around the table, the family comes together for a special Easter meal. Roast lamb and home-made cozonac (sponge cake with nuts and poppy seeds) are the traditional dishes.

In the countryside, the Easter Resurrection Mass lasts until early morning. The custom among country folk is to take their painted eggs, cozonaci and specially prepared dishes into the church on Saturday night so they can be blessed by the priest. I heard that it is tradition to "bump" eggs with your friends or give eggs to your neighbors and say to them "Christ has risen!" Of course only red eggs are used for this. I wish I could have observed that happening. I slept through it all. Or I was walking our little hallway back and forth trying to sooth Matthew with his tummy troubles, fever, pnuemonia, rickets and inguinal hernia. Maybe I'll have to write more blogs about our Romania adoption.

I feel a need to end on a good thought. While in Romania I met very poor families. They really had nothing, especially by our American standards. I have never met more people so willing to share what little they had. I don't mean what extra they had, just what they had. I was so humbled by this. Living in the apartment I was in was a blessing. I had an experience that changed me in ways that couldn't have happened if I had stayed in a hotel or bed and breakfast. Romanian folks are generous, caring, strong, faithful people. I hope not too many years pass before Matthew and can I return for a visit.

Happy Easter to All!