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BOTH THE VALLEY STRETCHING WIDE... B o th th e v a lle y s tr e tc h in g w id e A n d th e g ra v e m o u n d s o a r in g h ig h , B o th th e h o u r o f e v e n tid e A n d w h a t w a s d re a m e d in d a y s g o n e b y I s h a ll n o t fo r g e t. B u t w h a t o f th a t? W e d id n o t m a rry B u t p a rte d as w e h a d b e e n o n ly S tra n g e rs . M e a n w h ile a ll th e w e a lth O f th o s e p r e c io u s y e a rs o f y o u th S p e d a w a y in v a in . Родинна хата Тараса Шевченка Home of Taras Shevchenko N o w th e tw o o f us h a v e w ith e r e d , I — a c a p tiv e , y o u — a w id o w , W e w a lk — y e t w e a re n o t a liv e , W e b u t re c a ll th o s e d a y s g o n e b y W h e n , o f o ld , w e liv e d . Commemorating the genius of Taras Shevchenko 1814-1861 ANTIQUITY IN PRESENT CUSTOMS U k r a in ia n E a s te r c u s to m s a re d e e p ly ro o te d in th e d is ta n t p a s t, p r e d a tin g th e a d v e n t o f C h r is tia n ity . T h e n , m a n re v e re d n a tu r a l p h e n o m e n a s u c h as th e s u n , w a te r, a ir. H e s to o d in a w e o f n a tu r e in th e S p r in g a n d a t th e s a m e tim e h e fe a re d its u n p r e d ic t a b ilit y a n d s e e m in g ly d e s tru c tiv e te n d e n c ie s b e c a u s e he c o u ld n o t c o n t r o l th e m . S in c e U k r a in ia n p e o p le , fr o m a n c ie n t tim e s , fo r m e d b a s ic a lly an a g ra ria n s o c ie ty , th e y d e p e n d e d u p o n th e w h im s o f n a tu r e f o r t h e ir liv e lih o o d . T o m a k e s u re th a t n a tu r e w o u ld be o n t h e ir s id e , th e y d e v e lo p e d an e la b o r a te p a g a n F e s tiv a l o f S p r in g , w e lc o m in g a n d r e jo ic in g in th e a w a k e n in g o f n a tu re fr o m a lo n g a n d c o ld w in te r . A t th e s a m e tim e th e y p e r fo r m e d v a rio u s m a g ic r itu a ls in o r d e r to p le a s e a n d a p p e a s e n a tu re . W h e n C h r is t ia n it y w a s in tr o d u c e d in U k r a in e in th e 10 th c e n tu r y , E a s te r H o ly d a y s u p e r im p o s e d th e a n c ie n t F e s tiv a l o f S p r in g a n d in th is w a y b o th p a g a n a n d C h r is tia n e le m e n ts fu s e d to fo r m v e ry r ic h a n d s y m b o lic E a s te r c u s to m s , m a n y o f w h ic h a re p ra c tic e d to th is d a y. T h e m o s t im p o r ta n t r itu a ls in p r e p a r a tio n f o r E a s te r a re d o n e in th e la s t w e e k o f th e L e n to n p e r io d w h ic h c o n s is t o f b a k in g th e H o ly E a s te r b re a d s , as w e ll as p r e p a r in g o t h e r d is h e s a n d d e c o r a tin g E a s te r e g g s ; T h e E a s te r b re a d , t o g e th e r w ith o t h e r fo o d s is b le s s e d in th e c h u r c h b e fo re E a s te r. It is a v e ry b e a u tifu l a n d c o lo r f u l c e re m o n y , w h ic h in th e o ld d a y s w a s p e r fo r m e d a t th e d a w n o f E a s te r D a y. T h e E a s te r B re a d , o r P a ska , is a v e s tig e o f th e o ld p a g a n c u s to m s , f o r it w a s b a k e d f o r th e S u n o r S u n G o d . O n E a s te r S u n d a y , y o u n g g ir ls g a th e re d to g e th e r to p e rfo rm a s e rie s o f d r a m a tic d a n c e s a c c o m p a n ie d b y s in g in g , w h ic h a re c a lle d ’’h a h ilk y ” M a n y o f th e s e s o n g s a n d d a n c e s h a v e c o m e d o w n to us fr o m th e p a g a n d a y s , w h e n p e o p le b e le iv e d th a t r h y tm ic m o v e m e n ts , r e p e titio u s in c a n ta tio n s in flu e n c e d n a tu r e ’s m o v e m e n ts . A ll o f th e s e d a n c e s w e re p e rfo rm e d in th e p a g a n d a y s d u r in g th e S p r in g F e s tiv a l a n d la te r w e re c a r r ie d t h r o u g h in to E a s te r t r a d itio n . S p r in g d a n c e s w e re a lw a y s p e r fo r m e d b y y o u n g m a id e n s . N e ith e r m a rrie d w o m e n n o r y o u n g m e n w e re a llo w e d to ta k e p a rt. It w a s re a lly a V e s ta l V ir g in ty p e o f d a n c e , s in c e in m o s t a n c ie n t c u ltu r e s it w a s b e liv e d th a t v ir g in s h a d m o re m a g ic p o w e rs th a n o th e rs . In U k r a in ia n m y t h o lo g y a n d fo lk - lo r e , th e e g g w a s a s y m b o l o f life . D u r in g th e p a g a n F e s tiv a ls o f S p r in g , e g g s w e re d e c o r a te d w ith s p e c ia l s y m b o ls a n d c o lo r s w h ic h m a d e th e m p o w e r fu l ta lis m a n s c o n ta in in g m a g ic a l p o w e rs a g a in s t e v il, m is fo r tu n e , illn e s s lig h te n in g , e tc . E v e ry h o u s e h o ld in th e a n c ie n t tim e s , k e p t a c o lle c t io n o f d e c o r a tiv e e g g s o r p y s a n k y as p r o te c tio n a g a in s t m is fo r tu n e — a s o r t o f a g o o d lu c k c h a rm . T o d a y , th e p y s a n k y a re p a rt o f o u r E a s te r t r a d itio n . T h e y a re e x c h a n g e d d u r in g th e h o lid a y s as a s y m b o ls o f fr ie n d s h ip o r k e p t o n d is p la y as w o r k s o f a rt. T h e p y s a n k y a re d e c o r a te d w ith a v a r ie ty o f g e o m e tr ic p la n t a n d a n im a l m o tifs . E a c h e le m e n t o f th e d e s ig n h a d in p a g a n tim e s , s y m b o ls , w h o s e m e a n in g s t h r o u g h th e a g e s h a ve b e e n lo s t to us a n d w e u n d e rs ta n d o n ly a fe w . T h e v a r io u s w a v y lin e s , m e a n d e rs , s p ir a ls a re a ll s y m b o lic o f th e c o n t in u it y o f life . T h e o a k le a f s y m b o liz e s th e p a g a n S la v ic g o d P e ru n (g o d o f t h u n d e r a n d lig h te n in g ) . R o s e tte s , tr ip o d s , s ta rs a n d c ro s s e s a re s o la r s ig n s . T h e r o o s te r is a b ir d o f th e S u n o r S u n g o d . P y s a n k y o fte n in c lu d e d th e tre e o f life w h o s e s y m b o lis m is s e lf e v id e n t. A s t im e w e n t o n C h r is tia n e le m e n ts w e re a d d e d lik e th e fis h , a c h u r c h a n d th e C h r is tia n c ro s s . L u b o w W o ly n e tz
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