Memorial Day

Christ is risen! Today's commemoration is kept by Orthodox Christians in the United States and informally at that. Although a federal holiday, Memorial Day is very much in keeping with the practice of preserving the memory of the dead and those who have died for their country.

This particular holiday began amongst black Americans in Charleston, South Carolina, to commemorate the US soldiers who died to reintegrate the South into the United States and to bring freedom to the South's slaves. Since its beginnings in the late 1800s Memorial Day has become a holiday celebrating all the soldiers who have died fighting for the United States and in popular practice often supplants All Saints' as a day for visiting loved ones in the cemeteries.

May the memory of our loved ones who have fallen asleep be eternal! God grant them and us His peace, in this life and the next...

Romania Establishes Holiday Marking Freeing of Roma Slaves

Romanian President Traian Basescu has signed a law making 20 February a national holiday to commemorate the freeing of the country's Roma from slavery. Until 20 February 1856 the country's Roma, also known as Gypsies, were enslaved to an assortment of entities, including Romanian Orthodox monasteries. To this day they still face a great still of discrimination and remain one of the poorest and least educated ethnic minorities in Romania. More here.