Watch above: Ukrainian Christmas Eve was celebrated by many in Saskatchewan with ties to Ukraine. Wendy Winiewski finds out what traditions are followed on this special day.
SASKATOON – A celebration rich with tradition is underway in homes throughout Saskatchewan. Families gathered Tuesday to celebrate Ukranian Christmas Eve, according to the Julian calendar.
Pat Hawryliw’s grandparents moved from Ukraine to Saskatchewan 115 years ago. Three generations later, the traditions of their homeland remain deeply rooted.
“It’s just a thing, engrained in you that you feel that you have to do,” said Hawryliw, seated at the kitchen table where a candle burns at the center of three loaves of bread, representing the Holy Trinity.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the master of the home will place a sheaf of wheat in a corner of the residence. Traditionally it is placed under the table to symbolize the manger. When the first star is spotted, a feast begins with a wheat grain pudding.
“That dish is called kutia and every meal starts with it and it is a symbol of Jesus and the last supper.”
Hawryliw has spent three days preparing food for Christmas Eve. In total, 12 meatless dishes will be served signifying the end of fasting during 40 days of advent. Borsht, cabbage rolls (holubtsi) and perogies (varenyky) are part of the meal along with several other dishes made from harvest grains, garden vegetables, and orchard fruits.
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Focus on family and religion keeps the traditions strong, according to Hawryliw.
“We don’t have the commercialism involved in it as much. It’s more of a spiritual thing. Gifts are not given out,” she said.
An influx of new immigrants looking for work is also keeping customs strong. According to Father Taras Makowsky, approximately 50 per cent of the congregation at the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral on 20th Street in Saskatoon are new to Canada.
“With our new immigrants over the last number of years, they’re starting to bring some of these traditions back and teaching some of the other traditions that were in Ukraine,” said Makowsky.
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