Easter is, by far, a much bigger deal than Christmas in Moldova. In April, the airports will be extremely busy, and there will be long queues of cars at the borders, as the Moldovan diaspora return to their home country to celebrate Easter with their families.

However, arguably even more important than Easter to the average Orthodox Moldovan is a celebration that takes place eight days after Easter Sunday.  This day is called Paṣtele Blajinilor.

Paṣtele Blajinilor, commonly known as ‘Easter of the dead’,  is a public holiday when Orthodox Moldovans commemorate their dead relatives. It is a deeply pagan tradition, but one which has been assimilated by the Orthodox church.

On this day, Orthodox Moldovan families gather together, prepare food and take it to the graves of their deceased relatives at the cemetery. In Chișinău, free public transport is provided to take people to the largest cemeteries in the city.

If you visit any cemetery in Moldova, you will find picnic tables spread throughout the graveyard ready for this special occasion. A priest goes around the cemetery blessing the food and drink, which is then eaten and drank by the families at the gravesides. Not all the food and drink is consumed, however; some of it is left at the grave or even poured onto the ground for the deceased relative to have in the afterlife. Candles are also lit and prayers said for the deceased. Praying for the dead is a common practice in Orthodoxy, as it is believed someone’s prayers can affect the spiritual standing of someone in the afterlife. Whenever you visit an Orthodox church, you can give a priest a list of the names of your deceased relatives and pay him accordingly to pray for their souls.

Please pray for born-again Moldovan believers who refuse to take part in this pagan tradition. If their wider families are Orthodox, their refusal to join in will cause offence, and therefore problems for them.

However, as Easter is the biggest festival in the Moldovan year, it is a wonderful gospel opportunity for Bible-believing churches throughout the country. Many food gifts are shared, much time is spent with families and neighbours, and for 40 days after Easter, people begin their greetings with ‘Christ is risen. He is risen indeed’.

Please pray especially for the church family at Providence Baptist Church, Chișinău (where EMF worker Mihai Chisari is pastor),as they seek to share the true, good news of Easter with their Moldovan friends, family and neighbours this Easter. Special meetings will be held over Easter where the gospel will be proclaimed. Pray that Moldovans will come to know the true risen Saviour, personally for themselves.