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EARTH A N D H E A V E N (Nebo і Zemlya) Christmas Carol E a rth and heaven, earth and heaven U nite in rejoicing Men and angels, men and angels The glad tidings voicing: R e fra in : This is C h rist’s Birthday, God incarnating, Angels are singing, Great K in g th e y’re greeting, Shepherds are kneeling, C hrist Child adoring .— Wonderwork revealing. Bethlehem city, Bethlehem c ity Holds great celebrations: Born of a virg in , born of a v irg in Is the Savior of nations. R e fra in : This is C h rist’s Birthday, God incarnating, Angels are singing, Great Kings th e y’re greeting, Shepherds are kneeling, C hrist Child adoring — Wonderwork revealing. Translated fro m U krainian by Tetiana Shevchuk Christmas Traditions No doubt some of our readers w ill say th a t this topic has ju s t about been exhausted, fo r in the pre-Christmas season almost ev ery U krainian newspaper car ries numerous articles on this subject. B u t we do not wish to speak about the s p irit of Christmas Eve, the b rig h t lights of the Christmas tree, or the beloved melodies of the age-old C h rist mas carols. We all know about these, fo r they are memories of childhood and traditions which we have carried over into our own adult lives. Christmas Eve remains dear to us fo r i t is p rim a rily a fam ily holiday. Guests are ra rily in vited to jo in in the tra d itio n a l solemn ceremony unless they are travelers or persons who have no families of th e ir own. No one should be alone on th is most holy n ig h t of the year. Christmas Eve does not begin w ith the f ir s t star to appear in the heavens, as is commonly be lieved. I t begins w ith the ca rry ing in of the wheat sheaf, the “ diduch,” which is the symbol of the clan. I t is believed th a t the souls of the ancestors dwell in the wheat sheaf and th a t these souls v is it th e ir clan during Christmas. The “ diduch” is placed in the place of honor un der the holy icons where i t re mains u n til the New Year. The head of the household and the eldest son are entrusted w ith the honor of bring ing in the “ diduch.” They are met at the door by the m other and the younger children. This ceremony initiates Christmas Eve. The tra d ition al foods, greet ings, and carols all give C hrist mas Eve its special significance. Conversation is hushed and there is no loud laughing fo r the souls of the ancestors are pres ent. The most im portant food at the Christmas Eve supper is “ k u tia ” or “ God’s food.” As each member of the fa m ily takes a spoonful of kutia, greetings are exchanged and predictions made as to the coming year’s harvest. In some parts of Ukraine the members of the household share a piece of white bread spread w ith honey. A fte r supper, the children take some food to th e ir grand parents or godparents. This, again, symbolizes the continuity of the clan. The children are re ceived w arm ly and are given food to take back to th e ir par ents. The f ir s t day of Christmas is shared w ith the fa m ily outside the members of the immediate household. M arried sons and daughters v is it th e ir parents w ith th e ir children. Happy con versations and the children’s m erry laughter rin g through the house. Meat dishes are served, frequently accompanied by “ something to take the chill out.” Christmas carols are sung in unison and the general at mosphere is gay and happy. The carolers make th e ir rounds on the f ir s t day of Christmas. They carry the jo y ous message of C h rist’s b irth outside th e ir immediate house holds to the entire community. Thus, fro m the in itia l observ ance of Christmas Eve w ith in the fa m ily u n it the jo y of C hrist mas soon envelopes entire cities and villages. The beauty of the trad ition al U krainian Christmas is a source of much happiness to those who understand its sym bolism and its strong ties w ith the world of our ancestors.
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