Christmas in Ukraine

Among the Ukrainians wherever they may be Christmas is the most poetic and colourful festival. Christmas, which takes its name from Christ’s Mass is a joyous day on which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas festive days are observed according to  the Julian calendar, starting on January 6^th, Christmas Eve and ending with “Yordan” (Epiphany) on January 19^th.

    Christmas Eve is the most important part of Christmas. Its main feature is the evening meal called “Holy Supper”. According to the customs all members of the family should be at home that night for a family reunion.

    The supper on Holy Night greatly differs from other evening meals: it has 12 lenten dishes, in honour of 12 Apostles who gathered with Jesus Christ at the last supper. The dishes are prepared with a vegetable oil, omitting all animal fat, milk, because Christmas is preceded by pylypivka – a fasting period which ends after Christmas midnight.

   The family table is set according to time-honoured custom. It is strawn with a small handful of hay in memory of Christ Baby born and laid in manger and all over it is spread the best tablecloth. The hostess wakes up very early that day to prepare twelve Lenten dishes for the Holy Supper.

     As soon as the first star appears in the sky which symbolizes the journey of the Three Wise Men, the master of the family brings a sheaf of wheat called didukh, greets his family and places it in the corner of the room. It remains there till the end of the holidays, then it is burnt. The family gather around the table. Holy Supper begins with the Lord’s  prayer. The host says traditional Christmas greeting “Khrystos rozhdayetsya” (Christ is born) which is answered by the family with “Slavite Yoho”( Let us Glorify Him).  

The first dish is Kutya (a preparation of cooked wheat dressed with honey, poppy seeds, raisins and chopped nuts). Kutya is followed by such dishes: mushroom soup, borshch, holubtsi(cabbage rolls), potato and cabbage dumplings, stewed dry fruit, fish, beans, cabbage, garlic, vushka (mushroom dumplings), pampushky (doughnuts). Every one must have at least a taste of each dish. After the supper has been eaten the hostess has to leave some meal on the table because souls of dead relatives might come to taste it. 

     There is a custom of visiting close and distant relatives bringing them Christmas meal. Christmas Holidays are celebrated during 3 days. Children go with vertep (a play about Baby Christ Born), sing Christmas songs, carols. Groups of young men move from house to house performing vertep. Hosts treat them or give some money.  People go to church at Christmas to a midnight mass on Christmas Eve or a morning service on Christmas Day.