| The day was designated a fast day in rememberance of the hardships that Mary endured as she and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem...
All the preparations, both spiritual and physical, of the Advent season have been leading up to this Holy Night. this final day of advent is a day of anticipation - all day there is much to do before the special supper of the evening, Sviata Vechera.
In the old country and among those who lived on farms after emigrating to the US or Canada, care was taken that all the animals were fed and given fresh, soft hapy (instead of the usual straw) so that they would be content on this night of miracles. Some of the special foods that were to be eaten that night were saved for the animals also. the animals were treated specially on this night because animals had shared thier place of shelter, the stable, with the Holy Family, and had given up their manger for the newborn Crhist to sleep in. It was believed that animals could speak and tell of the guuture at midnight on this day, but no one attempted to listen to them because if one knew the future, one would die.
Food fo the Holy Suppoer (Sviata Vechera) for that evening is finished being made; all contain no meat or dairy products. The table and room are prepared - hay is strewn under the table and under the tablecloth as a reminder of the humble place of Christ's birth. A white or beautifully embroidered tablecloth is spread and the kolach is placed in the center of the table. A beeswax candle is put in the middle of this loaf. In earlier times, as the head of the house lit the camdle, he would say, "Shine righteous sun, for the hold souls and for us living, warm mother earth, our fields, our animals, and the candle would be left burning all night. A lit candle would b placed inthe window to invite in any homeless stranger and an extra place setting would be on the table for the soulds of the dead or for a stranger should come to the door.
In earlier times, especially among the Hutzuls who lived inthe mountain regiouns of Ukraine, certain rituals were performed to protect the home and property: a tool might have been placed under the dining table to protect it and all other tools from rust, each leg of the table might have been tied with string to protect the fruit trees from wind damage, scissors might have been tied closed so the young men in the family might not be drafted, or a notch might have cut in the stable's threshold to stop wild beasts from entering.
Late in the day, the father brought in the didukh, a sheaf of fine grain, and placed it in the place of honor near the icons, announcing that the holidays had arrived (Siatky idut'").
As disk approaches, the children of the family eagerly look for the first star. When it is seen, they announce, "God's star shines!" The father would carry the bowl of kutia around the home three times, reciting prayers. When he re-entered the home, the family would all pray together before the icons. The father would carry the kutia and the mother would carry the candle to the doorway, where the father would call out to the souls of their ancestors to join them at supper. The wife would then call out to the evils of nature such as frost, wind, drought, etc. to join them at supper. Not receiving a reply, she would say, "I'm calling you. If you do not come now, don't come at all - ever."
Now the fast would be broken and the special supper could begin. The father would first come to the table, then the others. Only the wife was allowed to leave to serve food while all the others remained at the table until the end of the meal. Before the meal began, good wishies for all the members of the family were expressed by the father. Prayers were recited and then the Nativity Topar or a carol such as "Boh Predvichny" might have been sung.
The first dish of the twelve is always the kutia - boiled whole wheat with honey and poppy seed. All must have at least a taste of the ritual dish. In some localities, it was the custom for the eldest member of the family to throw a spoonful of kutia to the ceiling - the more kernels of wheat that stuck to the ceiling, the greater of the good fortune - an increase in the amount of crops, a larger amound of bees, more cattle or eggs - in the following year.
The meal then continues with the rest of the twelve dishes that were prepared in commemoration of the twelve apostles. These varied from region to region, but all contained no meat or dairy products as this still was a day of abstinence.
After supper, nuts and maybe candies would be scattered int he hay under the table for the little children to find. Out of respect for their elders, the children would take baskets of food to their grandparents and godparents after supper. This tradition may have derived from the belief that young innocent children are the messengers of good spirits; as they traveled to the homes they are visiting, the children would call out "Khrystos Rozhdayetsia (Christ is born)!" to all they passed, receiving the answer, "Slavete Yeho (Let us glorify Him!" Throughout he rest of the evening, the traditional Christmas carols are always sung by all the family,
When it was almost midnight, all of the members of the family, form the oldeest down to the youngest, who could possibly leave the house (barring extreme sickness)wen to the Nativity Mass, a beautiful celebration of Christ's birth where religious carols were also sung. AFter visiting with each other, the families then returned to their own homes. Now that the fast was broken, the delicious pastries which were prepared for Christmas might be eaten before the family retired to bed.
Source: Ukrainian Christmas: Traditions, Folk Customs and Recipes
Compiled by Mary Ann Woloch Vaughn |
