Since I came to Jerusalem last month to witness all the Palestinian Christian Easter traditions, I had my share of church/mass experiences. By blood, my family is Russian Orthodox, but being that they live in an Arabic-speaking country, it makes sense that they might like to go to the Arab Orthodox mass, which is in Arabic. Linguistically it makes little difference for me as I speak neither Arabic nor Russian (sadly!). Although they are both Orthodox churches, albeit of different ethnic groups, some aspects stood out to me during these frequent April church visits.

The first thing that comes to mind when I compare both churches is the way people dress when attending mass. Going to Arab Orthodox mass puts little limitation on what you can wear. Of course, you'd figure not to wear things that are too revealing, but in terms of pants or skirts and which colors, pretty much anything goes. Some like to dress up, wear a variety of colors (brights and patterns too) while some are more casual in jeans and flats. 

In Orthodox churches women are supposed to cover their hair slightly, as a sign of modesty, but it was not made a requirement when attending Arab Orthodox mass. I saw some wearing it (usually older women), but I'd say most didn't. 

For Russian Orthodox church, ladies have to wear a long skirt and cover their hair. There is no exception to this rule. I had gone to Russian Orthodox mass at the Mount of Olives on the Eve of Easter, so I chose to wear black. However, I saw most women wearing pretty much neutral colors, and a lot of flower-patterned scarves on their head. I had visited the church before Easter, and I was surprised to find that at the entrance of the church was a wooden 'box' that had tons of apron-like long skirts ready for you to wear in case you didn't come wearing one. As I wasn't wearing a skirt on that day, to enter the church I wore one of these briefly while inside, and I wore my sweater's hood too (since I didn't have a scarf then).

Another detail that stands out is the way the mass is carried out. In Arab Orthodox church, depending on the day, the masses are usually rather brief (1.5 to 2 hours). There is seating throughout the church and most people sit until a particular passage referring to God or Jesus comes, at which point people will stand for the passage. On the other hand, Russian Orthodox masses seem to be longer (the one I attended was 4 hours! But it was Easter Eve at the Russian Orthodox Convent of the Ascension after all...), and sitting is usually a privilege left for older people. Basically, you stand for the duration of the mass. The seating I saw on Easter Eve was very limited, and the concept was the same in that when certain passages come, people stand. 

A third detail I noticed involves socializing/behavioral aspects. I got the impression that going to church for Arabs is a very social event, with people greeting each other, kids everywhere (loud and quiet ones), and sometimes even some minor chatting on the sides. When mass was over, people would linger around and say hello to one another. Basically, it was rarely 'silent as the grave' when attending a mass.

I definitely noticed a difference when I entered the Russian Orthodox church. As I entered and heard a priest singing in a low and consistent voice, I immediately remembered how beautiful that traditional singing can be in those churches. It was for the most part very quiet, dark (the only lighting was from candles) and whispering seemed to be at a minimum. Aside from nuns in black attire moving about at times, and of course people blessing themselves, there was limited movement. I remember one brief moment, when the choir of nuns were singing. It sounded so angelic and I felt so still that for a few seconds, as I closed my eyes and said a prayer, I actually felt like I was the only person there... Then someone passed by me and I was back in 'the real world.' (*Sigh* It's fine... that moment was enough to have made this long night worth it.)

Of course I could be wrong, but I didn't sense that there was as much interaction between people here as in the Arab Orthodox church. There could be different reasons for that. Could be some people were Russian tourists visiting for Easter, maybe some are more reserved or simply don't know anyone else who is attending. At Arab Orthodox church it seemed everyone knew each other, which would obviously explain increased interaction. 

Basically, in terms of 'rules,' I'd have to say that the Russian Orthodox church is stricter than the Arab Orthodox church. It's not a question of right or wrong; they're just different. The point is not to portray one as 'better' than the other; I was just reflecting on how they may or may not be alike. I'm glad to have experienced each so that I increase my knowledge and experience of each side and in some ways, of the cultures as well.

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After 3 weeks worth of Easter-related events, it all came down to Easter week-end. A lot happened in just these 3 days, and the following is a long entry concerning my experience.

On Good Friday, April 22nd 2011, we went to St. Jacob's in the late afternoon for mass. After that, we watched the 'burial of Jesus' in the courtyard of the Holy Sepulchre (which is right outside). The procession came out of St.

Jacob's church and the body of Jesus, in a coffin, was paraded around the courtyard 3 times.It was EXTREMELY packed. People were getting pushed and voices were raised, but I guess in the end it all worked out (LOL?!). It started to drizzle slightly and after the procession, the crowd slowly dispersed. I did not know it yet, but this crowd I had witnessed tonight was nothing compared to what would occur on the next day, Holy Saturday...

On Holy Saturday, April 23rd 2011, I practically spent the entire day in the Old City, watching Arab Christian scouts and traditions displayed at every corner of the city... It made me realize how easy it can be to lose all notion of time and place, to be lost in yourself, your family, customs, and basically enter a whole other world. At least it felt that way for me, who was seeing all this for the first time. This may have become 'routine' for other people who see it every year, but this was all new to me.

We left the house in the morning around 11am and headed to the Old City with 4 other people to watch the lighting of the Holy Fire. But what ensued was a series of things I will surely never forget. Partly due to the spiritual aspect of the experience, of course, but also partly because a lot of it was pretty insane and also downright scary, at least for me. My cousin had warned me on the way there: "get ready for more pushing and craziness today." Some things you really can't imagine until you experience them for yourself... As we walked in the Old City, it did not take long for us to see how packed the streets already were, and the lighting of the fire wasn't going to happen until 2pm... 

As we neared the church, and got more engulfed in the crowds, I eventually got separated from my girl cousin and her crew, and instead drifted off with my cousin's friend/coworker. We were literally stuck against walls, barely able to walk, literally having to push your way through (and I hate doing that because of course I consider that rude, but we really had NO choice!! Assertiveness is key here!!). Granted, although every second wasn't excruciating per se, the few times that there were 'panics' and such, they were bad enough to make us worry and feel as though this could end up badly. A few times we felt like we couldn't get enough air, so intensely packed it was.

At some point, there was such bad pushing and 'stampeding'-like behavior that a man had opened the doors to his shop to let people in while the crowd kept moving, hopefully making it easier for people to walk. He had grabbed my arm and my partner-in-crime and I had gone in very briefly... Sheesh. I am all for being devoted and strong in your faith but this?! Fighting for my life indeed!!!!!!!!! I'm sure some found this an 'opportunity' to get close to cute girls and help them out in this crazy situation... Of course I found it very sweet when some guys were being extra helpful, getting a protective-like stance as they tried their best to help girls move along, even when all were packed like sardines LOL. I'll say helpful, protective gents are welcomed in any situation =)

Thankfully my cousin's friend had experienced this before--even though she did say it had never been that bad before-- so she knew what she was doing and was determined to get as close to the Holy Sepulchre as possible. She wanted to at least be able to hear the bells, which would signify the Holy Fire had been lit. Well we didn't get far, but eventually we found a spot right at the corner of Greek Patriarchate St. of the Christian Quarter. We waited here about 1.5 hours until the lighting of the Holy Fire. There was nowhere to go, barriers/'checkpoints' were being set up all over the place by Israeli soldiers, so we knew movement would be limited. Where we stood and waited, right across from us a barrier had been set up, so that here we were, 2 groups of people waiting, separated by a 'gap' in which stood the Israeli soldiers. I suppose this 'gap' came in handy for making room when the 'fences' came down, to let the scouts pass through what was a narrow street (as pretty much all streets are in the Old City).

Someone eventually appeared with a bundle of candles that were ablaze (this bundle consists of 33 thin candles; to signify the number of years Jesus lived), and everyone just went crazy trying to reach that candle so they could light their own... I was really concerned. So much fire and constricted space and movement, I was just trying to make sure no one would set themselves, or someone else, on fire!!!! I didn't know anything then about 'supposedly the fire not burning you the first 33 minutes it's lit' but what I do know is that I felt the heat radiating from the flames all around me, and that was enough to make me extremely cautious. Maybe it was the intensity in the air, the short but awkward event between a Palestinian and a soldier, and the crazy crowd, but I just wanted 'safety first' at this point. 

After fighting for our lives (LOL), we were hungry and went and got pizza from Yerevan, the Armenian restaurant right at the corner by the New Gate. We took it home and it felt amazing to 1. have gotten home alive in one piece!! and 2. that fasting was over and we could finally eat cheese and meat again!!! Simply amazing =)

That had been in the late morning/early afternoon. It had already been an event-filled day, but I was nowhere near being done. It was 4:30pm, and I knew that I would still be going back to the Old City to watch the Ethiopian celebration of the Holy Fire and the Catholic scouts later in the evening. THEN, at midnight I would be heading with my uncle and aunt to the Russian convent for mass, until 5am... I had tried to rest for 2 hours since I knew I had all this ahead of me, but I guess the excitement got the best of me and I just stayed up the whole time.

Around 7:30pm, we were back in the Old City to watch the Ethiopian celebration. We went in through a narrow passage on the right side, outside the Holy Sepulchre. We went up narrow steps and hallways, all the while seeing crowds of typically white-clad Ethiopians praying everywhere. The air was thick and humid inside, with so much body heat and candles all over the place. We eventually reached the roof and we were outside, where more Ethiopians were sitting and praying against the walls. Others, younger crowds and tourists were standing and waiting for the lighting to begin. We had thought that it wouldn't be as crazy packed as it had been during the morning's events, and at first, it truly seemed that way. We breathed a sigh of relief... but not for long. We were given candles by the gentle and sweet crowd and chatted as we waited. It was almost pitch-black on the roof, and you could actually see the stars. Eventually the lighting of the candles happened, and everyone started singing and it really felt rather fun and exciting... but it was too packed, again!!!!! My short arm was trying so hard to reach as high as it could to catch as much footage on my camera as I could, and the result was 30 seconds at best (LOL). Hey, I tried... Sadly, we didn't stay long at all, but I am glad to have seen at least some of it. 

We then headed to watch the Arab Catholic scouts play, which of course they had done in the morning, but this was night-time. I really enjoyed the tune they play, which apparently is a rendition of the song "Sidi Mansour." Makes sense now; I was wondering why the tune sounded vaguely familiar!!!!! All in good fun... =)

I headed home and I had about an hour to get ready for the Russian Orthodox mass... I wore my outfit, which was basically all black: long skirt, black jacket and black scarf on my head. Maybe it's my European upbringing that makes me default on black when I'm not sure what to wear, or when it comes to religious events, but it turns out apparently I didn't need to wear all black. Women were indeed wearing long skirts and covering their heads, but if anything they seemed to be wearing lighter colors and flower-patterned scarves. I guess black was just my preference (and usually is in general, LOL). I hadn't been in a Russian church in a long time, and I had forgotten that Russian Orthodox churches usually seem to have consistent singing, even if really low and 'in the background.' The female choir was really nice and relaxing to hear. The church is small and the people seemed exclusively Russian, who may have only spoken Russian too. It lasted about 4.5 hours, during which I stood pretty much

the whole time (and yes my legs did hurt!). After the mass, we had breakfast which consisted of sesame bread (ka'ak), an egg, chocolate, a sweet piece of bread, some kind of sweet salad, and tea. I'll admit this early in the morning (around 5am), I didn't really have much of an appetite and was really dreaming of a nice cozy bed to sleep in. I had been up and about for almost 24 hours by now, so yes the fatigue was really kicking in. I know I had wanted to see the mass and mostly do it for my great-grandmother who is buried there. It was required by no one; it's just something I wanted to do and I'm glad to have had the opportunity. +

I slept from about 5:30am until 11:30am. The rice with meat and chicken I had for lunch tasted amazing, given I hadn't had any meat in about a month. The day was relaxing, and in the evening the cousins (meaning us adults) went to Beit Sahour to eat and have a drink, just to go for a drive and be out on Easter. 

On top of the 3 weeks leading up to Easter, this week-end alone felt extremely busy and intense. It has been a bit of everything for sure: relaxing, rejoicing, worrying, stressing... longing. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to do so, and even to have seen the crowds, as frightening as it may have been at times. That was indeed what I had hoped for; to see multiple people coming together to witness what is considered to be the most important Christian celebration. Due to the small Christian Palestinian population here, I really wanted to witness their traditions and perhaps even retain some of them myself. Only time will tell...

Al Massih Kam, Hakan Kam!!! +

Yesterday we attended yet again the mass at St. Jacob's next to the Holy Sepulchre. The mass was longer than last week's (2.5 hours instead of 1.5) because it was repeating the masses from the weeks prior up until today. Even though I don't speak Arabic I find the mass(es) very soothing and relaxing, and not knowing a language has never really been an issue for me. Even so, in spiritual matters I find language to be less of a barrier than it might be in other instances (besides there's nothing stopping you from praying in your own language(s) if that suits you). The people in attendance are Arab Orthodox but it's also interesting to see the occasional Russian Orthodox visitors, priests, and nuns who stop by to kiss the Virgin Mary's icon and say a quick prayer. It's always enjoyable to walk through the streets of the Old City, especially at night. Kinda makes me wish I could live inside those quarters... :)

Continuing in our fasting, we had huge falafel and Ka'ak bread (bread with sesame) and salad for dinner. Tea and some kind of sweet always complete the meal. The sweets of course have to be appropriate for the fast, so we usually buy them from Christian bakers since they know the ingredients used to make them. I stuffed myself, which may have prevented me from falling asleep right away, but I just can't refuse falafel (I think I ate most of it this time, lol!).

I believe on Tuesday I will be going to the Old City to watch the Catholics walk Jesus's path on Via Dolorosa and all the stations where He fell. Can't wait to catch THAT on film and pictures!! Will be sharing those ASAP (and praying that the laptop here doesn't crash; it is seeing its last days, ha!). +

My first 2 days here have been very nice and relaxing thus far. I find I'm adjusting to the jet lag a lot faster then expected, or maybe it's also the excitement of being here that prevents you from sleeping half the day (lol).


Thursday, my first night here, cousins and I went to the movies at an Israeli mall and I was surprised to see they have lots of movies playing in English (thanks to the considerable English-speaking community/tourists here). The weather was absolutely gorgeous even at midnight, but I guess I feel I have yet to experience 'bad weather' here... On to food, as per tradition, we are eating foods without meat or dairy until Easter, so I filled myself with stuffed grape leaves and rice-filled red peppers... YUMMMM!!!! 

Friday the 1st, the 4th Friday of Lent, I got up late (we had been up until 5am talking and catching up on things) and I had delicious home-made zeit za'atar for breakfast... goodness nothing compares to home-made food!!!! and that bread, so soft and mushy.... <3!!!!!! I need to muster up the discipline to rise at the break of dawn and make my own bread too... I vow to bring some recipes home with me... and learn how to make them. Or just have my dad make them LOLLLL

In the afternoon we went to Arabic Orthodox mass at St. Jacob's Church in the Old City, to hear the mass entirely dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is literally right next to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As with most religious places in Jerusalem, many churches will have different 'sections' depending on the denomination (ie: Catholic, Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Orthodox, etc.). So for those who want to hear mass in a certain language, they have only to go to the appropriate area to do so (if available). I thought it got pretty full but according to what I heard, that was not even considered packed. As I enjoy ancient architecture, I definitely appreciate seeing these old, cave-like places where one can pray, sing and meditate. In many ways it's amazing to think they have survived throughout the ages. 

In the evening my soul was finally at peace when I was reunited with bigger-than-usual falafel and sesame bread!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to say that this fasting thing is not being hard on me in the LEAST. I am enjoying everything and eating plenty of it, so i have zero complaints. Family members always make me laugh when they seem to think I'm not 'eating enough' but I am definitely not one for starving myself EVER so there's no need to worry about that :)

One pleasant, if not random, surprise comes in the form of SAMA FM. It's a Palestinian radio station that plays AMAZIIIING house/dance/trance/ambient music that would give any major American/European club some serious competition. I don't know if they also play Arabic music, but if so far I've only heard the likes of house music play on there. I have been trying real hard to find the name of a track I heard playing on there at 2am (how typical; it's always in the middle of the night that these things happen lol). I will have to keep digging through that website (http://www.fmradiostationz.com/arabic/sama-fm.html) and/or give good ol' YouTube a visit when I get a chance... 

'Tis all for now +

Pictures of the church:

just outside the church:

this is looking out into the courtyard; if exiting, on the left is the Holy Sepulchre