Orthodox Easter in Russia

Today was Orthodox Easter in Russia. Irina came to the hotel this morning and brought a Russian Easter bread called Kulich. She brought it for the families to share and also brought the two children at the hotel Easter eggs. Very sweet of her and her family, considering this was a holiday for them and a time to spend together. She indicated her mother-in-law baked the bread for us. She told us when we go to the orphanage tomorrow, we will stop on the way and get some chocolate eggs for Victoria and Blake. We also bought them some cookies when we went to the farmer's market yesterday. It will be nice to see Victoria in the morning!

Other than that, today was pretty uneventful. Irina was the highlight. We walked a lot down by the shore and the tracks. It was pretty cold today and there was a heavy mist. I checked the weather in Corona, in the 90's...ha! I am posting some pictures of mom and me next to the Easter bread Irina brought and also some of the same bread that were sold at the market yesterday. It looks much like cake or a very large cupcake, but taste more like bread. The icing is not icing as we know it.

Here is some info I found on-line about the bread: Kulich is a kind of Easter bread, traditional in the Orthodox Christian faith. Traditionally during the Easter service, the kulich is blessed by the priest. Blessed kulich is eaten before breakfast each day. It is baked in tall, cylindrical tins and when cooled is decorated with white icing. Kulich is only eaten during the 40 days after Paskha (Easter) until Pentecost.