Sunday after Easter

 This morning I decided not to take my camera, then I realized it was the Sunday after Easter, so I got my phone turned on to get some pictures as we drove out of the village.

We saw people on foot and cars parked by the cemetery. There had been a burial the day before, but that's not why all the people were there.

Luckily almost all the snow we saw when we drove in on Friday has melted. There is still some in ditches and in the shade on the edge of fields, but now it looks green instead of white.

As we got to Dnepro (we were going to Morningstar this Sunday) there were more cars parked on the shahzah (street) as we entered the city.

The Sunday after Easter is when Ukrainians visit the cemeteries to visit their family graves. They bring food, candy and drinks to leave on the grave,

Often they have a picnic meal at the gravesite, in fact, some have permanent  tables and benches for this reason.

 Since we were early for church and nearby we went for a walk in the big cemetery with our student Masha, who came with us to the city today.

We saw some large memorials, most were recent, but a few dated to Soviet times. I discreetly snapped a couple photos with my phone. That means I did not take one of the family with their meal spread out on the table at one gravesite we passed.

There were vendors selling real and plastic flowers and other things people might want on the way in.












We saw an Orthodox priest walking around with a group of people. Victor thinks this day is an Orthodox tradition. Someone once told Garry that this is the day that the dead can taste vodka, so some is poured onto many gravesites.

Plates with food and drink with the flowers 

picnic table at this site

Many orphans used to run in and take the food off the gravesites, it was one of the best days of the year, we've been told.

After the service we were introduced to a new English speaking family, originally from Poland, I think.















After a quick lunch of sharma at the bus station enroute to the English class we were visiting, we spent and hour talking about storms and trying tongue twisters.

Then we raced off to meet another new English speaking couple for coffee and tea at a cafe. At 5:30 we were off for one more stop to buy a new meat grinder to get that hamburger made and frozen after a few false starts yesterday,

Masha had quite the day out, and she really enjoyed it but she complained everyone was speaking English.

 It was well worth buying the new meat grinder. I was finished before midnight.

Then I did this blogpost... good night!