Coming in January: Ukrainian Christmas

By Kate Tarasenko
Correspondent

From the perspective of many Americans, the small countries that rim Russia's western and southern borders suffer from several X-factors, including name recognition, language and history. The countries are generically lumped together as "Slavic," endowed of individual identities only since Communism lost its grip with the fall of the Soviet empire. Nothing could be further from the truth. And when one discovers that no less than Santa Claus himself has roots in the traditions of one of those former "republics," one need look no further than Ukraine.

Long hailed as "the Breadbasket of Europe" for its prolific wheat production, Ukraine, whose history, literature and art date back to the Middle Ages, still struggles for independence and, in some respects, identity. It's no longer considered politically correct to call it "the Ukraine," with the article preceding the name (which roughly translates to "the frontier").

Surviving the genocide of more than seven million of its people by Josef Stalin (while the United States was experiencing its own Depression), after enduring forced domination by other European despots before him, Ukraine elected its first non-Soviet president just last year under a fiercely contested political battle that is still raging between its Kremlin-loyal easterners and progressive, Euro-leaning westerners. Yet the Christmas traditions that pre-date Christianity itself manage to bind the country together and are still celebrated there today, as well as in the homes of post-war émigrés in Canada and the United States.

The first discernible holdover is the date on which Christmas is observed. Eastern-rite Orthodox national churches, such as the Bulgarian, Serbian, Syrian, Greek and the largest of them all, the Ukrainian, have maintained adherence to the Julian calendar named for Julius Caesar. He fiddled with the 10-month Roman calendar which was then tinkered with by Augustus Caesar, to correct the growing disparity between the seasons and the months, which were out of sync by several days. By the time Pope Gregory XIII stepped in to correct more errors (such as the true length of a solar year), a Roman bishop had fixed the date of Christ's Mass at Dec. 25, replacing a Roman pagan festival. But the Julian calendar followers preferred their own dates for established ecclesiastical events, so "Ukrainian Christmas" is celebrated on Jan. 7.

Many Ukrainian families celebrate both dates, enjoying their trees and decorations, extending festivities, and taking advantage of post-holiday clearance sales. But another significant difference in customs separates the religious rituals and the more earth-bound practice of gift giving.

Like most legends, Santa Claus originates in fact. The jolly old elf began as real-life Saint Nicholas, born in what is now Turkey, just across the Black Sea from Ukraine, in the 4th century. Young Nicholas pursued a devout, religious life but was persecuted and imprisoned in a world just beginning to embrace Christianity. Emperor Constantine of Rome freed Nicholas.

One tale that connects Saint Nicholas to the tradition of gift-giving says that there once was a nobleman with three daughters who wanted to marry. But the nobleman lamented that he was too poor to give them all dowries, and considered abandoning them. Nicholas heard of their plight and, one evening, he threw a small sack of gold in through an open window of the beleaguered family's home. Overjoyed, the father used the bundle as the dowry for one of his daughters. Then Nicholas did the same the following night and, happily, the father used the gold for another daughter. Intrigued as to who could be behind this mystery, the father waited expectantly the next night and discovered Nicholas as he was preparing to deliver a third bundle.

The man was sworn to secrecy, but St. Nick's legend for generosity grew in the Orthodox churches, spread by his champion in medieval Ukraine, Saint Vladimir. Nicholas' relics are now preserved in Italy, and he is considered the patron saint of children. The Feast of Saint Nicholas - the traditional day for exchanging presents, or for discovering toys left in shoes, or for hunting for hidden walnuts and chocolate - is celebrated on Dec. 19 (Julian calendar) or Dec. 6 (Gregorian calendar) all over Europe. The red bishop's robes that Nicholas wore in life evolved into the various costumes that represent him today here and abroad.

Ukrainian Christmas begins with church services followed by Svyata Vechera or "Holy Supper" on Christmas Eve at the appearance of the first evening star, which signifies the Star of Bethlehem. Linens with traditional Ukrainian embroidery adorn the dinner table, along with bits of hay signifying Christ's manger. An extra place setting and shafts of wheat or didukh (literally, "grandfather's spirit") are laid out to remind celebrants of ancestors and mindful abundance.

The centerpiece consists of a stack of three braided rings of kolach or Christmas bread, signifying Eternity and the Trinity. A candle is placed in the center. Twelve (mostly vegetarian) courses comprise the meal, originally symbolizing the twelve full moons in a year of Ukraine's agrarian society, and evolving to represent Christ's 12 apostles.

The first and most important dish is kutya, made with boiled wheat, raisins, nuts, poppy seeds and honey. It represents "God's food," just as uzvar, a fermented blend of whole, dried fruits represents "God's drink." Other dishes may include borsch (beet soup), holubtsi (stuffed cabbage rolls) and the favorite Ukrainian staple, varenyky, a half-moon dumpling stuffed with mashed potatoes, beef and cabbage or fruit.

Svyata Vechera culminates with singing secular and sacred carols or kolyadky, an activity in which most full-throated Ukrainians take great pride. Christmas Day is, by contrast, more sedate. By the time Malanka, or New Year's Day, rolls around on Jan. 13, it's time to look forward to spring and more of Ukraine's best legacies.