How Transcarpathians celebrated Easter in ancient times (PHOTO)

Century old photographs depicting Transcarpathians celebrating Easter have been posted online. Text of a known researcher of history of Transcarpathia, anthropologist and literary critic Yuriy Zhatkovych (1855-1920) can be added to them as a comment.

Upon returning from church, people would stop before the doorstep and say, "Christ is risen!" – bow down and immediately answer: "He is risen indeed!" Then, they would come into the house.  Putting the basket on the table, the master of the house would take the cake and touch all family members with it so that "people respect them as they respect the cake." After praying, the master would take the cake, christen it with a knife and cut off small pieces on the four sides which were then fed to cattle.  Having breakfast, all would take care that no crumb of cake would fall to the floor. No blessed food could be wasted.