“FORGIVE AND TO BE FORGIVEN” TODAY IS PROCHKA
Balkan, MKD — Christans Orthodox believers today are celebrates the custom holiday feast of Forgiveness or Forgiveness Sunday, known as [Prochka or Veliki Pokladi in Slavic language], which belongs to the greatest Christian holidays, right after Christmas and Easter according to old calendar.
Prochka begins the long Easter fasting period filled with many customs and beliefs, with many disclaimers and hopes to welcome Christ’s resurrection (Easter), for communion and identification with the Savior Jesus Christ, and it’s known 7 weeks before Easter, always on Sunday, date is changing.
Prochka (Forgiveness Sunday) is carried with rich customs such as forgiveness, then special ritual with eggs called ‘amkanje’, sacred bonfires, rich table, life divination, cleansing against pests and so on.
Amkanje is a custom held on the evening of Prochka, when the family would gather at home. The custom is practiced so that the unpeeled boiled egg is attached with hemp thread and hang on a wand or a rolling pin. Then children sit at the table and knelt on their knees, and an adult brings the egg closer to the mouth of each child and the child shouts “am, am” and attempts to catch the egg with his mouth.
The custom of forgiveness starts from the Christian conception of aiding and forgiveness between people. It is believed that on this day heaven and earth forgive each other, so people should do that too.
And people ask for forgiveness from one another for their mistakes. Usually younger ask for forgiveness from the older, children from parents, baptized from their best man, and friends, relatives, neighbors are also forgiven.
Orthodox Christians celebrate the feast of Forgiveness, when people with raisins, orange or an apple forgive each others sins and wish health, happiness and love with shaking hands.
Younger three times bows before the elder and says: “Forgive me!” To which elder one responds: “You are forgiven from me and the Lord,”or just: “You are forgiven.”
Next day after Prochka is Monday and called Clean Monday and from then, long Easter fasting begins. On this day we clean the house with particular attention to wash dishes so that will be next clean till Easter and it’s on April.
