Easter in Ukraine. Use of English B1+

Easter is historically the most important holiday of the year on the Ukrainian calendar, … even Christmas in importance.

"Easter is a season of … , and definitely Easter traditions have been reborn and taken root over all the regions of Ukraine since the break up of the Soviet Union," said Lidia Orel, a leading ethnographer and folklorist.

The pysanka, the elaborate Ukrainian Easter egg, is one bridge between Ukraine's Christian and pagan … .

Pysanka shells … in archaeological sites from more than 3,000 years ago, and many of those designs are still being used on pysanka today.

Pysanka are made by drawing on the raw egg with hot beeswax and then … the egg into successively darker dyes.

The often symbolic designs reflect Ukraine's … history - rakes, wheat, wolf's teeth, rams and other plants and animals.

Preparation for Easter starts seven weeks ahead of time with the advent of Lent. Believers abstain … all meat and animal products.

… Sunday, the week before Easter, is known in Ukraine as Willow Sunday.

People bring home willow branches which … in church.

The week is dedicated to preparing for Easter.

People spend o lot of time preparing for Easter.

The Thursday before Easter is … to cleanliness.

According to Ukrainian tradition, one should bathe before sunrise on this day. The house must be … .

In the evening, there is a church service … Christ's crucifixion.

Villagers used to make a thick candle for this day. They had to light it in church and bring it home still lit. Then the head of the household … burn the sign of the cross into the ceiling of the entryway to ensure a safe house for the year.

Good Friday is the day that the women of the family bake "paska", Ukrainian Easter bread. Paska is a very rich bread made with plenty of butter, egg … and raisins.

On Saturday children … one-colored Easter eggs to add to the Easter basket which will be blessed in church.

The Easter basket also … pysanky, salt, paska, sausage and ham, and is covered with a linen cloth embroidered especially for this purpose.

In the evening, people go to church for the Easter mass, which … all night. At midnight when Saturday turns into Sunday, the tone of the mass changes from mournful to joyous.

The traditional Easter greeting is "Khrystos voskres," (Christ is risen), and the … response is "Voyistino voskres," (Indeed He is risen.)

In Western Ukraine a bonfire burns outside the church all night, symbolizing purification. At dawn, the church-goers step outside with their Easter baskets … by the priest.

Once the ceremony is over, every family goes home for breakfast, to partake of the … food. Lent is over and celebration has begun.

Easter Sunday is a day of singing and eating. Young girls dance and sing songs (vesnyanky or hahilky) about the … of nature and spring. People exchange pysanky.

Ukrainian Easter is a dual holiday — a celebration of Christ's resurrection … with much older pre-Christian rites commemorating the return of springtime and the sun.

A number of Kyiv churches offer the chance to observe and …in Easter week services.