Memories of Ostern (Easter) in Teplitz, Bessarabia
by Alfred Opp
In my village of Teplitz, Easter was the holiest
time of the year. As springtime arrived, so also did the early
flowers and the greening of the trees. It was a happy time. It was
also a time to remember to cleanse our souls and appreciate all the
good things we continually received.
Easter also was a time to remember the loved ones that had passed
away. We remembered that life was given to us to live in God's name
and that we had been saved and forgiven from our sins by Jesus
Christ. To arouse our conscience, the season started a few weeks
ahead of Easter with "Fastensonntag" or Fasting-Sunday - a time to
hold back on lust and pleasures in respect of our holy commitment.
Then came "Palmsonntag" or Palm Sunday which was a special day in
the church.
The time just before
Easter was spent in many preparations. For example, men cleaned up
the yard and white washed the buildings, the women baked Easter
Bread and colored the eggs. The house received a spring cleaning.
Then came Gruendonnerstag" the Thursday before Good Friday which
found all the village work and common activities completely shut
down. Folks visited the Graveyard to put their last touch on the
graves for Easter. Our "Friedhof" (cemetery) in Teplitz looked like
a park - it was simply beautiful with all the plants and flowers
decorating the graves.
Easter was not all
tears and sorrow. The children seeded a plate with wheat-grass for
the Easter Rabbit. Mom told us kids that when the grass had grown to
a height of 6 inches the Easter Bunny would appear on the window
sill to present goodies for those children who had been brave. So we
kids placed the plate on the window sill and waited. I can so well
remember thinking, Why does the grass grow soooo slow!
On Good Friday the
church held services were well attended. So many faces were in
attendance that were otherwise rarely seen that the place was
packed. On that Good Friday every woman was dressed in black with
everybody solemnly thinking of Jesus suffering on the cross for our
sins. Tears could be seen on many faces during the service. It was a
moving experience. No meat was eaten on Good Friday.
After the Friday services, everyone went to the graveyard to share
their thoughts about loved ones who weren't here but were still in
our hearts. This perpetuated a wonderful family bond of love and
appreciation. For the entire day common activities and celebrations
were kept to a minimum.
Saturday was a day of
normal activities. After church on Easter Sunday, children got up
early to check their Easter nest to see what the
Osterhase (Easter Rabbit) had
brought them. After breakfast, the family went to church. After the
church service ended, people once again went to the
Friedhof (cemetery) in memory of the
loved ones long gone. The day continued with a festive family
dinner, typically lamb roast with sweet rice and trimmings. Then
followed the visiting of relatives where coffee and "Suessbrot" or "Hefazopf"
(an Easter Bread) was served. Small children ran around happy in
their play and the young folks went out to the pasture to play an
Easter Egg game. In later years (after WWI), the young people
concluded the day with a folk dance.
We celebrated Easter
both in respect for our religious beliefs, and at the same time we
celebrated the arrival of spring. The observance of the old
traditions passed down by our ancestors were very much the core of
how we observed the occasion. We thank God for the good times we had
and the feelings we so fondly shared with our family members and
friends.
To this day, Easter
remains for us a lasting gift of spirit and devotion.
Happy Easter to all.
Alfred Opp
___________________
Alfred Opp is the author of "Pawns on the World Stage" - the memoirs
of his childhood in Teplitz, Bessarabia and the experiences of his
family in war-torn Europe (Poland during 1941-1945 before they fled
to East Germany in 1945, then the reconstruction of West Germany
1945-1955).
___________________
Note: Many of the
recipes mentioned can be found in "Bessarabische
Spezialitaeten:aus der Kolonisten am Schwarzen Meer, 1814 - 1940",
1999,
82 pages in color, compiled by Gertrud Knopp-Rueb.
English translation of
the cookbook title is "Bessarabian Food
Specialities: From the Settlement Period of the German Colonies in
the
Black Sea Region, 1814 -1940".
This cookbook is
available including a translation of the recipes at this
webpage:
www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/order/cookbook/knopp2.html.