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nn. Discussed at the meeting were problems of teaching Rus sian, Polish and Ukrainian in Connecticut schools. Elections of the Conn. chapter oi the AATSEEL were held, in which Countess Catherine Wol- kanskaya was elected president, Sister Mary Edvvina, F.S.S.T., vice-president and Michael J. .Nagu r ney s e c r e t a r у -1 r e a s u r e r. 13, at 10 a. m. His Eminence Francis Cardinal Spellman will preside, with sever al Bishops ofe the Latin Rite in attendance. Bishop Senyshyn will be assist ed in celebration of Mass by sev eral priests of various Ukrainian Catholic Orders. The choir of St. George’s Uk rainian Catholic Church of New York, under direction of Mr. Theodore Onufryk, will sing at the Mass. The choir, has recent ly made two highly-lauded ap pearances on the Church of the Air radio program, broadcast over the CBS network, from ra dio 'Station WABC in New York Citv. UYOC ALL-STATE CHORUS DEBUT UKRAINIAN MASS AT ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL St. George’s Choir to Sing Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn, OSB-M, will officiate at a Ponti fical High Mass, according to the Ulk,rainian Catholic Rite, to be •celebrated in St. Patrick’s Cathe dral, New York, Saturday, April Proceeds of the Ukrainian Youth of Connecticut All-State Chorus Debut Concert, held on Suday, March 31, at the Troup Junior High School on Edge wood Avenue, New Haven, Conn., de dicated to Taras Shevchenko, will go the UYOC Scholarship Fund. The UYOC announces two awards this yean* and hopes that next year the awards will be lar ger, with a free loan Students Aid Fund to accompany it. Guest speaker at the concert was Prof. Clarence T. Manning of Columbia University, author of the recent book “Taras Shevchenko: Selected Poems.” Boris Hoptiak directed the cho- ruis, while M-airy Burbella was featured soprano- soloist. Mildred Milanowicz Hayiuky Ukrainian Easter Singing Games The Ukrainian Easter singing games, *‘Hayivky,” or “Hahilky,” “Ve-smanky,” have their origin in pre-Christian time;s, when Na ture’s ‘'resurrection” i. e., the: awakening of all life in Spring, after a long, cold tenure of the winter gods’ reign, was celebrat ed with joyous spring festivals.. Spring, with its promise of glad ness, and of happiness was cele brated then with pagan songs and dances^ which were full of allu sion to the greening, productive earth, to the warmer sun, the flowing rivers^ awakening love, beautiful nature, etc. With the .coming of Christian-' ity, the festivities were aptly ap plied t q celebration of the Resur rection of Christ, with its promise 6f renewed jife* and happiness. However, the songs still retained the olet p^gan allusions to nature and w%fr 4he ;-on-set of political QW) reiS,sy|i^ the у also began to contain ^Іщ оп5 to historical events, so^tWrt “ftayivky” today contain hieSJry-of the Uk- rainian people. Until World War II, this-pure ly Ukrainian custom of singing artd acting" out the Easter “Ha- yivky” 4vas widely practiced, іц much the 'Same form, in all Uk raine, except in the regions where й was rigidly suppressed for ob vious political reasons. When ever the games were held, the festivities never failed to attract many foreigners, who often jour neyed far to see the festivities. Picturesque Setting The games were played in the village churchyard, where the lovely surrounding landscape, the green grass and the pictur esque church became a perfect back-drop for the flashing kalei doscope of color created by the brilliantly colorful dress of the villagers. The 'Sam e scene, re-enacted all over the Ukraine, where the “Ha- yiivky” were sung, remains for ever im the m in d s of many an ex iled Ukrainian. It riis Easter Sunday afternoon. Its quiet is suddenly dispelled by the incessant clamor of the chureh-bells, summoning the vil lagers to. the meirymaking in the : churchyard: Excited girls begin to gather there, chattering and impatiently waiting for all the girls to ap pear. Their animated gesturing sets their many-hued hair-ribbon's fluttering and dancing in the breeze. They .admire each other’s Easter finery, scrutinizing the winter’s crop of embroidery, j They pretend to ignore the young I men, beginning to gather on the fringe of the crowd. The older people, their faces still mirroring the glory of the morning’s Eas ter services, begin to gather too. They greet each other with a handclasp and the Easter greet ing “Christas Voskres,” “Christ is Risen.” (The handclasp on this day still automatically carries the forgiveness for old differences between neighbors, and imparts the we 11-wishes for the coming year). The crowds mill around the churchyard, each one nodding and smiling and squinting under the brilliant spring sunshine. The soft spring breezes tumble the cottony clouds across the sky and gently continue to rouse the bud ding trees from their wintry sleep. The bells have never ceased their clamorous pealing. The yonng men now add to the din wiilth the periodic firing of the cannon. The first song Suddenly a girl’s voice, lifted above the noise of the bells, sitarts the Easter hymn, “Christ is Risen” and is quickly joined by the other giirls in song. Thus the traditional Christian hymn has supplanted the traditional pagan song, which is the next song sung. All join mext in singing “Vzhe Vesna Voskresla” -— “Now Spring has risen.” The matrons and old men, for ming a gallery around the churchyard, which sometimes be come critical, sometimes approv ing, have, left the greensward free for the games. Young men, trying to get some attention "from the girls, have begun to build gymnastic pyramids that some times reach alarming heights. Children generally m ak e nuisanc es oif themselves by being every where at once. When the girls finish their greeting to Spring, the game- so mgs begin. Game sequence from Zbrutch Region A Ukrainian woman from the Zbrutch River region will never forget a slightest detail from (Continued on page 5) Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.