Customs – Hanover – Ukrainians in Lower Saxony celebrate Easter service – culture
Hanover (dpa / lni) – Ukrainian Christians in Hanover celebrated Easter on Sunday with bread from their homeland. It is part of the Easter tradition of the Ukrainian church that the women of the congregation bake bread on the Thursday before Easter, which is distributed at the service, said Mariya Stepanovych on behalf of the congregation. This is a symbol of the risen Christ. “We used to have breakfast together.” Because of Corona, the bread has now been distributed to the churchgoers.
Overall, many hundreds of Ukrainians are taking part in the congregation’s Easter services celebrated in churches in Hanover and other cities this weekend and over the weekend, Stepanovych said. Among them are many refugees from eastern Ukraine. The church wants to give people a little hope. “The refugees should feel a little bit at home,” she said. Since the refugees from Ukraine cannot bake themselves, she got the bread from western Ukraine. Two women volunteered to bake about 500 Easter loaves.
The Easter services will take place partly this weekend, but also next weekend. The parish celebrates according to the Greek Orthodox rite, but is linked to the Roman Catholic Church, Stepanovych said. In Ukraine, however, many Christians and Christians would celebrate according to the holiday rhythm of the Orthodox Church, after which Easter falls on April 24th.
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