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ОІЧіВНЬ, 1946 mmtmmsss&te і A n d o n E a r t h P e a c e Sunday, January 6 th, marks Ukrainian Christmas Eve. Not in years has each Ukrainian home in America witnessed such feverish preparations as it will see on this day. The mothers, wives, sisters or daughters will have spent many a sleepless night before this day, recalling all the Ukrainian Christmas Eve customs they will revive this year. Of course it will be extra work, but they will love it. In their frantic shopping for special treats, they will be remembering the letters they received over the years from over seas that read: “Mayibe next year, Mom, we all will be together again at the “Sviata Vechera” on Christmas Eve. Maybe you will set a place for me this year, the way you told us you always did in the old country, for the ones absent from the Holy Supper, then I can be with you in spirit.” This year it will be different. With the added blessing of Sun day marking the day, and war time restrictions lifted, families will gather from near and far for the first joyous peacetime Christmas Eve Supper. This year for the first time in years, the famliy circle will be complete. The serviceman son who found new and deeper meaning in the traditions observed by his family probably will be conspicuously underfoot all day, insisting on ALL the trimmings this year. And “Mom” and Dad. and the kids will all make certain none of the cus toms are omitted. Even the recency-glamorized kid-sister--now- grown-up will make concessions this year to the “old-fashioned” customs. Under her “modern” treatment the traditional “dyid,” — the sheaf of wheat that symbolizes the god of plenty who feeds and protects the family, will be represented quite adequately by the decorative bunch of wheat in the tall Hutzulsky vase. The hay of the manger may be signified by a few wisps under the tablecloth, and the straw of the Bethlehem stable may be indicated by a straw mat under the table, but they are there and that should satisfy the family hero. He may peek under the corners of the tablecloth to make sure' the cloves of garlic are there to ward off evil spirits. The family sitting down at the table will pause to admire the center-piece that outshines the glittering dinner-ware| The table will be adorned with a large wreath of oat-stalks, festooned with basil and dried flowers. From the center will rise a tall candle. The tradi tional loaf of bread, the pot of honey and the “topka” of salt will be there too. In these table decorations, the family will recognize symbols of the sun and the earthly sustenance o-f man, and marvel that these customs were descended from pre-Christian times, when pagan Ukrainian' ancestors worshipped the sun and nature, celebrat ing the passing of winter with feasting and merry-making. The great day finally has come and now it is time for supper to begin. This is the moment the whole family prayed for, for long -years. Now that the victory is won, and the family is together again, all the anxiety, the weariness and the strain of the war-years may be discarded. The traditions and beliefs embodying the ideals for which, all have suffered to keep, may be practiced and savored and revalued anew in this celebration of the Christ's Birthday. Some one sights the. first .star, which is Dad's signal to light the candle and greet his family and guests seated around him with “Doforey Vechir.” The next scene, with the comfort of its timeless- ness, wherr the family arises and repeats the Lord'sJPrayer after the father, is the scene the soldier or sailor-son had etched in mind and heart, the picture to which he clung as the one sane scene in the whole senseless madness of his war experiences. The prayer this year is thanks from his heart and his family's to a God that is good. There will be fanjilies where a place will be set this year for the son who will never come home, where parents must take comfort in the thought that the Supreme Sacrifice of their son helped make this Christmas such a joyous one for so many. The* supper proceeds by candle-light. Dad holds the bowl of “kutia,” the honey-sweetened mixture of boiled wheat grains and crushed poppy-seeds. He fills his spoon and offers the kutia to bis wife, wishing her well for the coming year. The little ceremony is repeated with the family and guests. The usual solemnity of this rite may be broken this year when Dad slips in a sly joke with his well-wishing. But he is only feeling his happiness. The toast that follows, however, may well be solemn, for thoughts of the past and the future will be serious thoughts. Mother arid the girls, serving the first of the twelve courses of the evening's repast, will undoubtedly voice their genuine res-pect and admiration for the culinary expertness of their forbears, who invent ed and concocted these dishes in honor of the Twelve Apostles. The dishes must be fast-dishes, prepard without meat or dairy products. Mother may sheepishly confess that she “forgot” and fixed some dishes to be tastier, but well she may brag that she did remember all of them. The family tries to..k eep , track , but .after the borscht, the sour cabbage pea soup,,.the “ЬоІцЬсЬі," the jellied fish, the several kinds of “pirohy,” t>e they the. potato-filled ones,, the plum r jam-filled ones or others, they soon loose count and just relax and enjoy the dishes as they come. Each tries to save room for the dishes of mush rooms, the gfriddle-cakes, the plump “pampushki,” and the fruit, try ing to finish each course to insure against hunger in the coming year. The supper continues into the evening. The endless gay chatter ing may be hushed for a moment with the mention of some one gone, “missing in action” or of one who did not live to see the happy home-coming of. the family's hero — but the chatter resumes its mer ry high pitch with the recalling of more Christmas Eve customs. The girls, at the close of supper, insist on collecting spoons and go ing out on the lawn to clatter them. Giggling and suffering the taunts and derision of the male guests, they keep up the clattering until a dog barks. The direction from which the bark came is the direction from which their suitors will come, says tradition. Children inside are having a fine time playing the traditional games that are supposed to" bring luck to the family. The old folk put an end to the bustle 'by starting the “kolyadas.” With the singing of “Boh Predvichney Narodyvsia,” (God the Eter nal hath been born), the climax of the evening has been reached. This time no one minds Dad's annual insistence on singing all of the stan zas right to the end. The youngest one “shows off” with his newly- acquired mastery of the carol. The oldest recalls the many different times he sang this carol. Mother and the girls carol too as they clear away the last of the supper and prepare snacks for the “kolyadniky”, who will ap pear soon. The family sings carol after carol, for each has a favorite he wants to hear once more, until they are interrupted by the ring ing of the door-ibell. The house-calling carollers, the “kolyadniky,” are ushered in, greeted and listened to as they carol through the re quested “kolyada.” The leader makes his dignified “Christmas wish” to Mother and Dad, and asks for a Christmas donation. Dad's dona tion this year is for the Congress Committee helping the Ukrainian Displaced Persons in Europe. Mother’s is for Ukrainian Relief and the rest of the family voice their choice with their donations. The solemn recording of the donations forces home the realization on each one that most of their kinsmen in Europe will not be able to celebrate the traditional Christmas, except perhaps by singing “Boh Predvichney,” if they are able to sing. Mother and Dad remember their manners, and begin plying the carollers with Christmas goodies. They offer drinks to the frozen ones and perhaps black coffee to the too-merry ones. Amid much joshing and joking, the leader rounds up his carollers for the next' call and finally succeeds in getting them under way. The family, in the comparative quiet after the departure of the “коІуаДпіку,” begins to- think of midnight Mass. The children are put to bed, one older person designated to sitay and care for them. Through the star-lit night, the family goes to church, meeting friends along the way with a greeting that holds a new joy this year. SUA CONVENTION MOVES ON SCHOLARSHIPS A t the Sunday session of the seventh convention of the SU A , delegates elected Mrs. Claudia Oles- nitsky as chairman of the SU A Edu cation and Scholarship program. Three scholarship awards were ap proved by the delegates to the 20tth Jubilee convention. One, “for Jour nalism, was awarded to M iss Mildred M ilanowicz, while two, for M edicine and M usic respectively, were kept in reserve, pending decision of the com mittee on approval of qualified stu dents. The Committee will be made up of SU A branch representative, School authority, and SU A headquarters E x- ecutives. UKRAINIAN SINGERS AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Singm g in the Christmas Show at the world-famous Radio City M usic .H all is our own Olga Pavlova, S U A member. M iss Pavlova delighted mem bers and guests at the Jubilee Concert on December 9th, w ith her charm ing,, renditions of concert and folk songs. Also aippearing in the same three- week engagement is M iss Mary Poly- nack noted Ukrainian soprano, also of New York. Both singers have appear, ed as soloists at several SU A con certs. ARE YOti A^SUBSCRIBER OF OUR LIFE? Junior League Section
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