St Nicholas Cathedral - Radonitsa
Radonitsa (Russian Радоница, "Day of Rejoicing"), also spelled Radunitsa, Radonica, or Radunica, in the Russian Orthodox Church is a commemoration of the departed observed on the second Tuesday of Pascha (Easter) or, in some places (in south-west Russia), on the second Monday of Pascha.The Slavs, like many ancient peoples, had a tradition of visiting family members' graves during the springtime and feasting together with them. After their conversion to Christianity, this custom transferred into the Russian Orthodox Church as the festival of Radonitsa, the name of which comes from the Slavic word "radost'", meaning "joy." In Kievan Rus' the local name is "Krasnaya Gorka" (Красная горка, "Beautiful Hill"), and has the same meaning.
I went to St. Nicholas to serve. When I go there, I leave my camera out where any of the servers can grab it and take photos. These photos of me are very helpful when I share with some people why I am Orthodox. They might not understand, but they do see that I am doing something important. I hope that this will open the door for some people.
To get to St. Nicholas Cathedral, I usually walk three blocks and take the PK to Charles Street, walk one more block and take the first bus to Penn Station. From there I take the MARC commuter train to Union Station in Washington DC. Then I take the subway to Dupont Circle and then the N2 bus to the cathedral. Crossing Massachusetts Avenue can be quite a challenge.
Russian custom which is new to me
Stairs at Penn Station
