Candle in the Window, Sorrow in the Soul

I completely support the ideas and conclusions that Prof. James Mace presented in his article, “A Candle in the Window” (The Day, No. 6, February 18) and especially with his proposal that a candle be lit in the window of each and every home in memoriam of those who died in the Manmade Famine (Holodomor).

However, I think we need not wait until the fourth Saturday of November. It would be better to do it one day during Lent. This day should be proclaimed a day of mourning in a statement from the president or prime minister, hopefully also by the ambassador of the Russian Federation, and also marked by a short service and prayer and all churches and houses of worship during which a Memorial Candle would be blessed to be lit and passed from hand to hand on the Day of Mourning. What remains of the candle should be kept as a family relic.

Observing the Day of Mourning precisely during Lent would not only enhance the atmosphere of these days but also mark the fact that it was precisely in the spring of 1933 that mortality of the starving was at its peak.

And what do the readers of The Day think of this?

Perhaps we should all agree through the newspaper to light a candle in the window without awaiting some word on high. I personally think that the best time to do this would be Maundy Thursday (the day before Good Friday — Ed.).