Paștele

Paștele is the Orthodox Easter celebrated by the Romanian Orthodox Church, the country’s largest religious holiday. It is a movable feast in spring, usually in April or early May, and many Romanians prepare for it during Holy Week. On Holy Saturday night, churches in Bucharest, Iași, Cluj, village parishes, and monasteries fill before midnight. At the Resurrection service, the priest comes out with a candle and says “Veniți de luați lumină!” People light their candles from that flame and pass the light from person to person. The Easter greeting is fixed and instantly recognizable: one person says “Hristos a înviat!”, and the answer is “Adevărat a înviat!”

After the midnight liturgy, many families carry the burning candle home carefully and keep a little Easter food ready for the end of the fast. On Easter Sunday the table is specific: red-dyed eggs for the tapping game called ciocnitul ouălor, sweet cheese-filled pască, slices of cozonac, drob made with lamb organs and greens, and often roast lamb. People knock eggs while saying the Resurrection greeting, and the meal is usually shared with close family after church. Red remains the classic egg color because it is the most traditional, even when other patterns appear. Across Romania, from city apartments to village courtyards, the day is marked by church attendance, candles, eggs, and a long family meal.

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