“Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” On Easter Sunday people all across Russia will greet each other in this way, but it won’t be the 12th of April, it will be the 19th. Here in Russia Easter usually falls on a different Sunday than in the United States.

Russians like to color Easter eggs. In church on Easter Sunday it is common to give colored eggs as presents to your friends. Besides the eggs we color at home, there are beautifully painted wooden eggs as well as beaded eggs. Often you find the letters “XB” on Easter eggs. These are the first letters of the two words in the Russian phrase “Christ is risen!”

Two traditional Russian Easter foods are kulich and paskha. Kulich are pretty Easter breads with raisins and decorated with powdered sugar and sprinkles or candied fruit on top. Paskha is made with eggs and tvorog. Tvorog is similar to cottage cheese, but it is smoother and drier. Eggs, tvorog, sour cream, raisins and other ingredients are mixed together well and then chilled and molded. There are traditional wooden molds decorated with the letters XB.

We will be celebrating Easter in our congregations with festival services. In Akademgorodok the adult choir will sing two anthems. In Iskitim after the worship service the children will be reciting Bible verses and Easter poems and singing several Easter songs. In all of our churches we will be having a special Easter tea after the services. Many ladies will bring kulich they have baked for the tea.

Easter is the highlight of the church year wherever you happen to be. Thank God for the resurrection of His Son, which proves that our sins are forgiven and our salvation complete, so that someday believers from Russia, America and all over the world will join in beautiful hymns of praise to the Lamb. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!