Easter is the most important holiday of the year.
Easter egg is called pysanka. Pysanka shells have been found in archaeological sites from more than 3000 years ago, and many of those designs are still being used on pysanka today.
Preparation for Easter starts seven weeks ahead of time with the advent of Lent. Believers don’t eat meat and animal products.
Palm Sunday, the week before Easter, is known as Willow Sunday. People bring home willow branches which have been blessed in church.
The week is dedicated to preparing for Easter. The Thursday before Easter is called Clean Thursday. According to the tradition one should bathe before sunrise on this day. The house must be clean too.
Good Friday is the day that the women of the family bake “paska”, Easter bread.
On Saturday children dye Easter eggs to add to the Easter basket which will be blessed in church. It also includes pysanka, salt, paska, sausage and ham. In the evening people go to church for the Easter mass, which lasts all night.
Easter Sunday is a day of singing songs and eating. Young girls dance and sing about nature and spring. People exchange pysanky.