The Month Ahead: Easter, Memorial Traditions, and a Month of Quiet Activity
April in Moldova
Orthodox Easter Holidays
This month, Moldova celebrates Orthodox Easter, or Paște, on April 12th. This holiday is one of the most important days of the year for Moldovan families and many people journey back to the villages and towns where their older family members still live. The religious services for Easter begin Saturday evening with services leading up to the lighting of candles at midnight using a flame that is brought to Moldova from Jerusalem. Services continue through the night until priests begin blessing food brought by individuals that will later be served to their family. The celebrations are full of traditions including:
Washing your face in basin of water that has coins at the bottom is said to bring wealth and good luck.
Hard-boiled eggs are dyed brownish red by boiling them with the skins of red or yellow onions. Family members take turns tapping an egg against another family members eggs in a competition to be the last one to have an uncracked egg.
Salt, blessed by the priest, is often poured in the local well for good luck.
People dress in new clothes and spend the days ahead preparing their garden, whitewashing tree trunks and making their house beautiful for spring.
The Sunday of Easter and the Monday after are holidays and most business will be closed.
The following Sunday, the 19th, is a uniquely Moldovan Holiday called Paște Blajinilor. This holiday serves as a memorial day where Moldovans go to the cemetery and visit the graves of their ancestors. The cemeteries are filled with people including many of the diaspora who have returned home for the holidays. At the grave sites are tables and benches where families share food and wine with those visiting the cemetery. Many will give a “pomana” which is a gift to remember the dead and might consist of bread, eggs, dish towels, cups and plates, or a small amount of money.
This holiday also continues on Monday the 20th and both days are official holidays. You can read a guest essay about this unique holiday from Elena Vrabie here, originally published in Moldova Matters in May 2024:
Spring is full of holidays and days off so plan accordingly:
Official holidays:
Paște (Orthodox Easter) - Sun/Mon April 12-13
Paște Blajinilor (Memorial Easter / Easter of the Dead) - Sun/Mon April 19-20
Labor Day - Friday May 1 (Note: Thursday, April 30 is considered a short work day)
Europe Day / Victory Day - Saturday May 9
Children’s Day - Monday June 1
While the week between the two Easter holidays is very quiet, there is still a lot of activity in Moldova. Here are a few notable events.
Opera, Ballet, and Concerts
The Maria Biesu Theater has a full schedule this month with two notable events at the end of the month:
Sparticus - This Russian ballet from 1956, based on the novel Sparticus, will be performed for one night only, April 26. Tickets are available here.
The Marriage of Figoro - Mozart’s renowned Opera will be be performed in Italian. Tickets are available here.
Other large musical events are happening throughout the month:
Rock Symphony - The Moldovan Youth Orchestra will perform interpretations of some of the most popular rock and alternative bands ever. Join them at the Chisinau Arena on April 4th and get your tickets here.
Bands and Brews - On April 1st, LaBREWatory is hosting another edition of their Bands and Brews event. The event features live music and a selection of their craft beers. Tickets can be purchased at the door. For details and information on bands, visit their event page here.
Symphony Concert - The Symphony and National Philharmonic will be perform a selection of three composers at the Palatul Republicii on April 17th. Details on the performance and tickets can be found here.
Three Double Piano Concert - The Organ Hall presents a performance of double piano pieces by Bach and Tchekovski. This event is for one night only on April 26 and tickets can be details can be found here.
Theater and Comedy
Asa, Buna Seara - Six comedians present the history and historical hereos of Moldova at the Chisinau Arena on April 5th. Details can be found here.
Opera de trei parale – Bertolt Brecht’s Opera de trei parale (The Threepenny Opera) appears at Satiricus on April 24th at 18:30 as a musical-theatre work that blends crime, romance, and social satire. Details available here.
Sports
Chisinau Half Marathon - On April 26th, Chisinau will hold the spring half marathon. This weekend is full of events including a kids marathon on the 25th. For details on the many events and registration links, visit Sporters Website here.
In addition, join fellow runners on April 18th at Valea Morilor Park at 9:00 am to practice for the marathon. Details here.
This section is done in partnership with the team behind Digital Nomad Moldova - the one stop shop for those considering taking advantage of Moldova’s new digital nomad visa process! Learn more on their website.