Yawmo d Thnahto da Meethe

Yawmo d Thnahto da Meethe

For the Syriac Orthodox Church faithful of Tur Abdin region and their diaspora, Easter Monday is known as Yawmo d Thnahto da mithe. It is a day of celebration, Day of the Dead. Unlike other memorials of the departed as practiced in the Syriac Church, the mood of Thnahto is not somber, rather is it very jovial. On this day, Syriac families enter the cemeteries and place candles, flowers, and other decorations around the grave. The priest and deacons arrive to offer incense at each grave. While awaiting the priest to come, Syriac families have a picnic upon or adjacent to the graves of their deceased loved ones. They share chocolates and treats, eat freshly baked bread, drink coffee and participate in playing folk games. One such game involves knocking the coloured and decorated Easter Eggs against each other.Much in the same way that on Sunday the living parish members celebrate Easter, Thnahto provides an opportunity for the reposed to join in on the festivities. It is a reminder that the Church is comprised of both the quick and dead. Thnahto further emphasizes the victorious nature of the Feast of the Resurrection, as a triumph of the eternal soul against the temporal implications of physical death.Even the dead hearken to hear Christ is Risen, and to boldly respond that indeed He is Risen!Reference: 'The Construction of Equality: Syriac Immigration and the Swedish City' and 'Easter Monday (Thnahto): Syriacs gather at the cemeteries of Tur Abdin'Commemorated annually on the Monday after Easter.