Today Yse and I got the traditional Russian Easter greeting again, from a babushka on the street as we walked home from the market, who walked up to us and said, "Girls, Christ is risen!" (Девушки, Христос воскрес!) with genuine joy, as if she were actually delivering the news to us, which was delightful. Having forgotten how to say the proper reply, "He is risen, indeed!," (Воистину воскрес!) we looked it up when we got home. At which point I made the discovery that Passover really is called "Jewish Easter" in Russian (see post below). Oy. So it wasn't Nijole who was confused; it was the silly American. Duly noted.
P.S. – I'm at a loss to explain where Russian Jews get their matzoh. Without the appearance of matzoh in grocery stores, I didn't even know it was Passover until someone told me. Any ideas? Can you make matzoh yourself?
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An American's (former) life in Taganrog.
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- Leslie
- Washington, DC, United States
- First a Fulbrighter, then a grad student in Eurasian, Russian and East European studies, now a footloose, fancy-free, unabashedly nerdy Eurasia "expert."
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3 comments:
I imagine it's the kind of thing you'd have to get at a specialty Jewish store (like a kosher butcher). Or maybe they make it, but that sounds difficult.
-L
Ps. The word in the Scandinavian languages for Easter is something like Paaske (poskeh), which I believe derives from the Hebrew word for Passover, Pesach. The holidays are interrelated, as "The Last Supper" was a Passover seder, but the Scandinavians seem to have it more right (Christian Passover) than vice versa.
I believe the actual correct response to the statement "Christ is risen!" is "Darn tootin'!"
But I could be wrong.
Actually, it's the same in Russian - "Paskha" is Easter, which is clearly related to Pesach. So it's only my perception of it that made me translate it as "Jewish Easter" rather than "Christian Passover," which is obviously more etymologically correct. Boo, I lose for being Christian-centric!
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