intheTRAVEL
intheTRAVEL
A Gingerbread House
Garlic Toast for Christmas Dinner
Yule Goat
Christmas in Ukraine
Christmas in Sweden
In Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. The reason for this is
that are one of few countries who follow the Julian Calender, and thus
seem to experience a 13 day lag in such events. Sviata Vechera or “Holy
Supper” is the central tradition of the beautiful Christmas Eve celebrations
in Ukrainian homes. The dinner table sometimes has a few wisps of hay on
the embroidered table cloth, to serve as a reminder of the manger in Bethlehem. In some communities, the head of the household brings in a sheaf
of wheat called the Didukh (meaning grandfather) which represents the
importance of the ancient and rich wheat crops of Ukraine. He greets his
family with traditional salutations and expresses joy that God has favoured
them with good health and general well-being. In city homes, a few stalks
of golden wheat in a vase are often used instead.
Most of the Christmas celebrations in Sweden occur on Christmas Eve, or
Julafton in Swedish. Prior to Christmas, the Saint Lucia Ceremony is celebrated around December 13th. This 400 year old tradition of the queen
of light is celebrated with church concerts and processions and predominantly involves the girls of each family. Dressed as Lucia’s maidens, the
girls wear flowing white gowns and a wreath of glowing candles in their
hair. They carry candles and solemnly walk through the cities, towns and
churches giving out saffron buns and singing Lucia’s melodies. But this
hauntingly beautiful procession is not just for the girls. The boys dress as
star boys, and wear long white shirts and pointed hats. The story behind
this custom goes back to Saint Lucia, a Christian virgin who was martyred
for her beliefs at Syracuse in the fourth century. While the ceremony itself
is fairly recent, it represents the traditional thanksgiving for the return of
the sun.
Christmas is a joyous day and many begin by attending a service at Church.
Ukrainian Churches offer services both at midnight on Christmas Eve as
well as on Christmas morning itself. Christmas supper, without Lenten restrictions, does not have as many traditions connected with it as Sviata
Vechera. When the children see the first Star in the eastern evening sky,
which symbolises the trek of the Three Wise Men, the Sviata Vechera may
begin. Members of the family gather around the table and begin with the
Lord’s prayer. The first dish is kutya, a preparation of cooked wheat dressed
with honey, ground poppy seed, and sometimes chopped nuts. The head
of the family says the traditional Christmas greeting, Khristos rodyvsya!
which translates to “Christ is born!”. This is then answered by the family
with Slavite Yoho! which translates to “Let Us Glorify Him!”. Everyone must
then have at least a spoonful of Kutya. Other dishes served include pickled
herrings, borsch, and various other traditional dishes. Dessert is usually a
stewed dried fruit or Christmas pastries.
At the end of the Sviata Vechera the family often sing Kolyadky, which
are Ukrainian Christmas Carols. In many communities, groups of young
people and members of organisations and churches go from home to
home, caroling and collecting donations. One popular Ukrainian carol is
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Christmas Decorations
Boh predvichny which means God Eternal, and has both beautiful melody
and lyrics. Some Ukrainian carols are unique in the sense that they make
references to Ukraine, while others are thousand year old ancient pagan
songs which have been converted into Christian carols. It is interesting to
note that the now world famous Christmas carol Carol of the Bells was first
a Ukrainian song called Shchedryk.
In the past, children were believed to have been given gifts by Svyatyi
Mykolai (Saint Nicholas) on St Nicholas Day itself (December 19th). Children would wake up to find presents beneath their pillows.
However this tradition and date has generally been replaced, and now gifts
are given on Christmas Day itself, albeit on a different day from the rest of
the world. The traditional Christmas customs of Ukraine add colour and
significance to the winter festival of Christmas, and Ukrainian Christmas on
January 7th is usually a peaceful and quiet event. This celebration reminds
them of the baby in a Bethlehem manger whose birthday is celebrated.
But whether Christmas is celebrated on December 25th or on January 7th,
the message is the same: Peace on Earth! Good will towards men!
Christmas Caroling
Risgryngrot a special rice porridge is also offered with an almond hidden
in it. Tradition states that the person who finds the almond in his or her
bowl will marry in the coming year.
The streets of cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö are usually
filled with festive Christmas markets, and Swedes enjoy spending the
days outside by strolling through the markets or going ice skating at the
outdoor rink. The markets are filled with handmade Christmas decorations and ornaments, and sell Swedish delicacies such as smoked sausage, reindeer meat, and traditional Swedish Christmas sweets. A spicy
mulled wine (glögg) is used to keep them warm while they spend the
day out.
After Christmas Eve dinner, a friend or family member dresses up as tomte
or Christmas gnome. The tomte, unlike Santa Claus is supposed to live
under the floorboards of the house or barn and rides a straw goat. The
make-believe tomte, wearing a white beard and dressed in red robes, distributes gifts from his sack. Many are given with funny rhyme that hints
at the contents. Some families, however, simply place the gifts under the
Christmas tree.
Christmas trees are usually found in Swedish homes two days before
Christmas. Decoration may include candles, apples, Swedish flags, and
small gnomes wearing red tasseled caps, straw ornaments. The houses
are filled with red tulips and smell like pepparkakor, which is a heart-star,
or goat-shaped gingerbread biscuit. Swedish Julafton, or Christmas Eve
dinner is often smorgasbord, a meal served buffet style