Christmas memories: A Ukrainian celebration in Canada (12/19/99)

Christmas memories: A Ukrainian celebration in Canada

by Agnes Kripps

Ah! Ukrainian Christmas! It's so special, so different, and so uniquely Ukrainian. It is completely different from the usual Canadian hubbub of commercialism that appears in the stores even before Halloween has passed.

Canadians of Ukrainian ancestry are richly blessed. Our authentic, time-honored traditions have been passed from one generation to the next - from Ukraine to Canada and to the many other countries of the world to which Ukrainians emigrated.

I remember well "Sviat Vechir" (Holy-Eve/Christmas Eve).

It was a day of intense excitement for my bother, my two sisters and me, not because we anticipated many gifts and toys, but because the entire atmosphere in the house was so different. Mother made it so. We understood that there was to be peace and good will all day, even among us, the children. We were very happy, because the family was together. Togetherness was very important to us.

The house had been thoroughly cleaned, and mother was busy preparing the 12 meatless and non-diary dishes for the "Sviata Vecheria" (Holy Supper) symbolic of the 12 Apostles who gathered for the Last Supper. We all helped.

Hay was spread evenly on the table over which we placed our best Ukrainian embroidered tablecloth. This tradition was to remind us of Christ's birth in the manger. The fragrance of burning incense permeated the air as a reminder of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts for the Christ Child.

A chair was left empty and an extra place setting put on the table in memory of those who died or who were unable to be present for this special family reunion. Guests were not invited for "Sviata Vecheria," as this was a special day for the family. Lights shone throughout the house as light was a symbol of life.

Bread and wheat have always been important elements in Ukrainian life, culture and folklore. At Sviata Vecheria we always had a trinity of "kolach" (round braided bread), as the centerpiece of our dinner table. Kolach comes from the word "kolo," meaning a circle, an old symbol of good luck, prosperity and eternity. Three round "kolachi" were placed one atop the other and a candle was inserted into the top loaf.

Sviata Vecheria was a bountiful, leisurely, memory-filled affair. It was customary for all, except children and elderly, to fast on this day in memory of the hardships endured by Mary on her way to Bethlehem.

The appearance of the first star in the sky was our signal to begin the Holy Supper. Even though many times we weren't able to see a star, we reminded ourselves that at this particular moment, all over the world, Ukrainians were spiritually united as they sat down to begin their meal with "kutia" - the first and indispensable dish, a preparation of cooked wheat sweetened with honey and ground poppyseeds.

Kutia epitomizes the Sviata Vecheria as the wheat symbolizes a spiritual clan unity of all living and deceased family members.

Mother told us that honey had its own medicinal and ritual symbolism and was quite prominent in old wedding rituals. Poppyseeds symbolized fertility and abundance, and the poppy head represented the family with all members inside.

After reciting in unison the "Lord's Prayer" at the table, our father began the Holy Supper in a ceremonial manner by raising the first spoonful of kutia, invoking God's grace with the traditional Christmas greeting "Khrystos Rodyvsia" (Christ is Born) to which we all replied in unison, "Slavite Yoho" (Glorify Him). Everyone had to partake of the kutia, if only a spoonful.

After kutia we ate borsch - beet soup, known as the national soup of Ukraine; whitefish - baked and/or fried; "holubtsi" (cabbage rolls) stuffed with rice or with buckwheat; pyrohy (dumplings) stuffed with either mashed potatoes or sauerkraut, and some with prunes. We also ate "nachynka" (cornmeal stuffing), and a favorite of mine were "pidpenky" (boletus mushrooms lovingly picked by my father). These pidpenky were dried, and some were preserved in jars to be used for this supper and any other special occasions. Not to be forgotten, we also had "kolochena fasolia" (whipped beans) and "beeb" (broad beans) and bread rolls with poppyseed filling. For dessert we had "uzvar" (a compote of stewed dried fruit), "medivnyk" (honey cake), "makivnyk" (poppy seed roll) and melt-in-your-mouth "khrustyky," (delicate friend pastries) nuts and fresh fruits.

It was a never-to-be-forgotten event. We ate a small serving of each one of the foods because each dish was traditional, and had to be tasted first before we could have extra helpings of our favorite ones.

After supper we sang traditional Ukrainian carols - the first one was always "Boh Predvichnyi" (God Eternal). Memories were shared and stories told about family life in Ukraine, where my grandparents, uncles and aunts and their families lived.

I remember mother relating to us all the customs and traditions of the Ukrainian people in Ukraine. She wished that we would continue to practice these customs in our later life, thereby enriching our own lives, as well as those of Canadians not of Ukrainian descent.

She wanted us to understand, love and respect everything related to our culture so that we would be better equipped to enrich our evolving Canadian culture.

Somehow on this Christmas Eve even our behavior at home was unusual. It was in keeping with the peace and quiet brought to the world with the ancient greeting of "Khrystos Rodyvsia" and reply "Slavite Yoho."

Soon it would be time to dress warmly and walk through the glistening snow to church for the special midnight service. But first, my father played the "drymba" (Jews harp) that he had brought with him in 1906 from his village of Kadubivtsi, in the "raion" of Zastavna Chernivtsi Oblast in Bukovyna, Ukraine. He played the melodies of many carols, much to our delight. Each one of us, when old enough, took turns to try and play this unique, small instrument that was placed between the lips and held in place with one hand, as a finger of the other played the metal tongue of the drymba.

The church bells of St. Michael's Ukrainian (Greek) Orthodox Church - the oldest Ukrainian church at 110 Disraeli St. in Winnipeg - rang clearly through the cold of the night. The church was filled to capacity. After the service we all sang "Boh Predvichnyi" and once again people greeted one another with "Khrystos Rodyvsia" - "Slavite Yoho."

Agnes Kripps of Vancouver is the first person of Ukrainian descent to have been elected to the British Columbia legislature on August 27, 1969, and in 1962 became the first woman in Canada to have been elected president of a branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee (now the Ukrainian Canadian Congress). She is also a leading activist of the Vancouver Chapter of the Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund.

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