Happy Pascha!

Atka's primary religion is Eastern Orthodox, specifically Russian Orthodox. The Catholic/Protestant calendar and the Orthodox calendar are different and calculate when Easter comes differently. Most of the time, there is a week or two between the Orthodox and non-Orthodox Easters. Even though I was a practicing Catholic for several years, I tend to agree with the Orthodox dates because Passover should always precede Easter. It always does on the Orthodox calendar, but not on the more mainstream calendar. This year, most Christians celebrated Easter on March 27; here in Atka, Easter is today, May 1. Happy Pascha!

The village worked hard over the last month or so to pay for a priest to celebrate Holy Week with them. They had pot lucks, cake walks, dart tournaments, bake sales, and raffles. About 10 days ago, Father Michael Oleksa flew into Atka, along with his wife. As a retired priest, he no longer has a parish, which gives him the freedom to go to these remote villages and celebrate with them.

One of his first stops upon arrival was the school. I recognized his name immediately when he introduced himself to me; he was the author of a book on Russian Orthodoxy in Alaska that I had used in teaching my U.S. History course in the fall. As we spoke, I found him to be a delightful man who emanated warmth and kindness. He had brought some egg decorating materials and wanted to know if he could come and decorate eggs with the students. I told him absolutely, and explained what I was doing with them in Art for egg decoration. He returned on Thursday to help the kids with the decals he had brought.

I tried to attend the midnight service on Saturday night, but ran into an odd problem. Father Michael had use of my car during the time he was here. There is a second SUV, but I've never driven it. I thought it might not be wise to drive it for the first time with one eye patched. I could certainly have gotten a ride to church, but the service is 3-4 hours long; I knew I would be leaving early. I couldn't figure out how to get a ride home. Oh well. No Easter service for me!

However, I was determined to be part of the community celebration, so I went to the pot luck luncheon today. I made rice pilaf, since I was pretty sure no one would have made it or even tasted it before. I finally got to taste sea lion and reindeer. The former had an odd, oily taste. It sort of made me gag, even though it really wasn't *that* bad.  The reindeer was dry and chewy. It reminded me of badly cooked mutton. I think I would probably like reindeer if it were better prepared, but I don't think I'll give sea lion another go.

I finally got to meet the oldest man on the island. The kids and I saw his picture among the exhibits at the Aleutian WWII Visitor's Center in Dutch Harbor. He was a young teen when he was sent to the internment camp. My students have said that he has lots of stories, which I would love to hear. Unfortunately, a pot luck luncheon isn't the time for serious conversation.

I had a good time being with everyone, given that I usually feel awkward in social situations, and that I never remember everyone's name or even their faces. Still, I've gotten to know a few people well enough to exchange greetings and hugs. I felt welcome, and that made it a happy Easter.