Christmas Day, Ukrainian style.Byline: By Kerry Beadling MEMORIES of Christmas are fading for most people in Coventry - but for one group the big day is still fresh on their minds. Ukrainians follow the Julian calendar Julian calendar n. The solar calendar introduced by Julius Caesar in Rome in 46 b.c., having a year of 12 months and 365 days and a leap year of 366 days every fourth year. which means their Christmas falls on January 7 - two weeks after the December 25 date mainly celebrated in Britain, which is based on the Gregorian calendar Gregorian calendar Solar dating system now in general use. It was proclaimed in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a reform of the Julian calendar. By the Julian reckoning, the solar year comprised 365¹⁄₄ days. . This year the festivities fes·tiv·i·ty n. pl. fes·tiv·i·ties 1. A joyous feast, holiday, or celebration; a festival. 2. The pleasure, joy, and gaiety of a festival or celebration. 3. started last Saturday evening with a traditional 12 course vegetarian meal, called the Svyata Vechera, which translates as Holy Supper. Each course represents one of the 12 Apostles. Across the city Ukrainian children watched for the first star in the eastern sky, which signalled the time to start the meal. Then on Sunday there was a special Christmas Mass at the Ukrainian Catholic Church on the corner of Broad Street and Stoney Stanton Road, in Foleshill, Coventry. Afterwards children from the Ukrainian Youth Association performed one of the group's traditions by visiting Ukrainian families through the city and singing their native carols. Maria Dzula, chairman of the Ukrainian Youth Association, said: "Our community rejoices when the children visit their homes with carols and seasonal greetings." Christianity was introduced into Ukraine in 988 AD. UKRAINIAN TRADITIONS ON Christmas Eve, after preparations for the meal have been completed, the father offers each member of the family a piece of bread dipped in honey, which has been previously blessed in church, and then leads the family in prayer. After the prayer the father extends his best wishes to everyone with the greeting Khrystos Razhdaietsia (Christ is born) and the family sit down to a twelve-course meatless Christmas Eve supper. The first course is always kutia, which is also the main dish of the whole supper. Then comes borshch (beetroot beetroot see betavulgaris. soup) with vushka (boiled dumplings filled with chopped mushrooms and onions). This is followed by a variety of fish. Then come varenyky (boiled dumplings filled with cabbage, potatoes, buckwheat buckwheat, common name for certain members of the Polygonaceae, a family of herbs and shrubs found chiefly in north temperate areas and having a characteristic pungent juice containing oxalic acid. Species native to the United States are most common in the West. grains, or prunes). There are also holubtsi (stuffed cabbages) and the supper ends with uzvar (dried fruit). |
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