Fourth letter – Christ is Risen!!!

Bright Week, 2008

Happy holiday, my dear, may you always celebrate it in peace, good health, joy and freedom. I will write a couple of words about the celebration of Easter, the greatest feast, in Kosovo. At midnight the monastery bells ring inviting people to liturgy. The divine service is held at Velika Hoca, Father Miron is there with monks who serve the liturgy together. The monastery is full of people, children, even wives with small babies have come to the liturgy. While Father Miron performs the divine service all babies sleep in their mothers’ laps. The liturgy is beautiful and is served with great love for the Lord since the Lord is there and hears our prayers. Everyone takes Holy Communion, first babies, then children and finally the adults. All people rejoice and greet one another with words - Chris is Risen! They wish one another merry holiday. In our Orahovac the liturgy began at 5 a.m. with the ringing of church bells.
Both bells are heard who knows how far away, the wind carries the sound of bells as if it wishes to announce to everyone that the Lord has risen. We are all in the church, Father Velja puts on his festal vestment and slowly prepares for the divine service, the children who assist also put on their garments, light candles and prepare themselves to assist with the liturgy.
The divine service begins…choristers are there and also participate. Everything is beautiful and ceremonious, Father Velja three times loudly repeats CHRIST IS RISEN!! And we answer aloud - HE IS RISEN INDEED!! Everyone takes Holy Communion and is joyful, at the end of the service Father Velja gives everyone chocolate and small icons, sent by Serjoza Popov, presenting the Resurrection of the Lord. We, children, are most cheerful knocking the eggs, the churchyard is crowded with children and we all rejoice in the Easter, the saddest but still the merriest day (1)
When that is finished, we all go home and after that we set out for eggs, it is the same as for Christmas, we visit our relatives and they give us Easter eggs, candies and we greet one another. We also have guests who come and wish us happy holiday. On that day we eat met dish and different food is set at the table while in the middle of table is placed the basket with Easter eggs.
Each guest drinks a glass of homemade plum brandy, they interlock their arms and wish all best to the host. Unfortunately, this time people in Orahovac again spent the holiday by candlelight but that did not spoil our mood and holiday celebration. We all started singing folk songs and toasted to one another. They can take away everything from us, but not our FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.    
The good always conquers the evil, and that happened this time as well, they cast stones at us and we will cast bread at them ….CHRIST IS RISEN!

Jovana Radovanovic, Orahovac

(1) Jovana has in mind the meaning of Cross and Resurrection that permeates this Holiday, i.e. the Great Friday as the saddest and the Easter as the happiest Day. In her pure child’s heart she feels that Cross-Resurrection bond so we left it the way she wrote it. 

Превод: Хришћанска Заједница Св. Ђакон Авакум - Видиковац, Београд