"Memorial Day"--Ukrainian Style

April 11, the Sunday after Easter, was "Memorial Day". It falls the Sunday after Easter every year. In this particular case it is not specifically about veterans, it is simply about honoring the dead and taking care of their graves. People go out and put fake flowers on all the graves and generally clean up the cemeteries.



I went to one of the local cemeteries by our big Orthodox cathedral here in town. This cemetery is just off the main street and is not as frequently used anymore as space is running out. In the picture above you can see the cathedral in the background and the little church closer up where Julie went for the Easter services.



In addition to cleaning up the graves and possibly whitewashing and leaving the flowers, families bring food to leave at the grave. Usually eggs, candy and a paskha (Ukrainian Easter bread) are left, although I am not sure why.



The Ukrainian title for this "holiday" is "Provody", which means "seeing off" (similar to seeing someone off at the bus station). I'm sure my Ukrainian friends could clarify a lot about this holiday and correct me on some of the details. But it is my understanding that on "Provody" the families also gather, either at the cemetery or at home and hold a feast, often with spring salads made with radishes, cucumbers and spring onions, among other things. Note that this is an Orthodox tradition, not an evangelical one.



I have to say that I do appreciate seeing all the cemeteries cleaned up and the bright flowers on them. I don't appreciate seeing the bright flowers in the market place; they are mostly plastic and often in bright, almost neon, colors, which grate on the eyes a little. But sprinkled throughout the graveyard they definitely cheer the place up.
I also love the some of the older grave markers like the one in the above picture. I remember seeing ones like that in Austria and I love the craftsmanship and artistry. The more modern trend here is to have a granite pillar put up with the person's picture on in. Very modern, but not nearly as beautiful.
As always when I wander through a cemetery, I wondered who all these people were. Some of the markers had fallen over or had lost their writing and I wondered who was there and what their life had meant. And whether they ended up in heaven or hell. Sometimes it is good to spend some time with the dead so that I remember how urgent is the need to share the gospel with the living.