Do you know this tradition?

[Michał]

My father received today, from a certain Orthodox priest he knows, a piece of a dried bread (which does not look like prosfora) and was told to have it with him up to 11 April (the Sunday after Pascha) and to eat it on that day. Does anyone know what this bread might be and what's the meaning of this tradition?

 

[mike]

I know that 'artos' (kind of blessed bread) is given to the faithful on the Thomas Sunday (the Sunday after Pascha) but it is blessed on Pascha, not on the Nativity. Maybe it is 'artos' from this year?

 

[Cymbyz]

Brignt Week is treated as a single liturgical day, in some respects.  The Daily Hours are suspended in favor of the Bright Week Office; the Tone of services changes every day, etc., and theoritically, no work is supposed to be done that week.  So it's quite concievable that an artos blessed at Pascha should be used for Thomas Sunday.

 

[Michał]

Thank you, mike, for your answer. I also found this:

It is a custom among Russian Orthodox Christians to this day to keep a portion of the Artos throughout the year and with due reverence and faith to eat of it in time of illness or distress. This is eaten, often together with a drink of Holy Water, which had been blessed at the Feast of the Theophany of Our Lord.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artos#Significance

 

[LizaSymonenko]

Ukrainians do the same thing.

The Artos usually has the image of the Cross or the Resurrection on it.  Ours has an icon of the Resurrection.

It gets consecrated at the end of the Paschal Liturgy in honor of the Risen Christ.  Christ is the "Bread of Life Eternal". 

The Artos is left on the Tetrapod where it gets venerated by the faithful, then it gets cut and distributed to the faithful on St. Thomas Sunday.

We also are taught to "save" it for emergencies.  If one is very ill and cannot reach the priest, etc...then in place of the Eucharist the Artos is eaten. 

Additionally, some people always carry a piece of dried blessed Paska bread (special Easter bread baked for Pascha and blessed by the priest in people's Easter baskets) and a piece of Artos with them at all times, especially if embarking on a journey, or a new venture.

"Я до Вас із Дарником і Паскою, будьте до мене з доброю ласкою."  I come to you with Artos and Paska, be gracious and kind to me.

In the photo is the tetrapod in our church just after the Paschal Liturgy.  The church is completely silent and empty because everyone is in the hall getting their baskets blessed.  It is my all time favorite moment to be in church.  The lights are all on, the candles are still twinkling, the Altar is open...you can still hear the hymns echoing off the walls...  ...anyway...I digress! 

On the right side of the icon of the Resurrection is the newly blessed Artos, still wet with the droplets of Holy Water.





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