The Ukrainian community in New Britain is gearing up for a joyful holiday.
Volunteers from St. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been preparing since Wednesday, baking traditional Easter food, such as breads (paskas) and creating hand-painted eggs (pysanky).
The church is doing all this for its annual Easter Festival, a tradition that spans decades in New Britain.
“There's a lot of joy, a lot of smiles. Kids are excited because now we can go home and eat meat for the first time in like 50 days,” said Father Andrii.
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Hundreds of people are expected to come to the festival, including a number of Ukrainian refugees who not only call Connecticut home but also St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
"This Easter festival provides this communal family feeling for people, reminding them that part of Ukraine can be found here,” said Father Andrii.
That's true for one Ukrainian woman who moved to Connecticut two weeks ago to reunite with her husband.
Though not a Ukrainian refugee, she says she sympathizes with those who had to seek safety. She says she’s scared about the war but remains hopeful.
To prepare for this weekend's festival, she and others were busy setting up for what will be a fun and meaningful celebration.
"When they come, they taste traditional Ukrainian food. They buy some eggs, some embroidery to cover the basket. That is a tradition, too. They are ready to celebrate,” said Father Andrii.
Ready to celebrate because for many, it will be their first Easter since the start of the war.
The Easter Festival is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday.
Anyone is welcome to attend. Father Andrii recommends ordering your Easter breads ahead of time by contacting the church at frandrii@yahoo.com.
