Provody

Provody. Memorial services for the deceased that were held during the so-called Mavka week immediately after Easter. They were usually held on the Sunday or Monday following Easter. In some cases they were held on Holy Thursday. In Bukovyna they took place on the Saturday following Easter; in Galicia, on the Friday or Saturday following Easter. Participants gathered at the cemetery, bringing Easter eggs, bread, bowls of food, and liquor or wine. After a commemoration service they ate a meal at the graves, where they left some of the food and drink for the dead. In some regions the provody concluded with games and dancing. The first Monday after Pentecost, when the rusalky were conducted away from the village and the sown fields, was also known as provody. (See also Ancestor worship.)