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In a d d itio n to th e s e c e n tra l p a rtic ip a n ts th e re are U k ra in ia n p e a s a n ts o r h is to ric a l fig u re s s u ch as th e k o z a k s (U k ra in ia n w a rfio rs of th e 17 th c e n tu ry ) o r k n ig h ts in a rm o r, w h o a d d c o lo r to th e s e e v e n ts w h ic h s e e m to o c c u r in a sm all U k ra in ia n v illa g e . A lth o u g h fe w h a ve s p e a k in g p a rts, th e s e c h a ra c te rs ta k e p a rt in th e c a ro llin g , in te rs p a c e d in v a rio u s s c e n e s o f th e p lay. F in a lly , th e h o st an d fa m ily are s h o w e re d w ith g o o d w is h e s fo r h e a lth , w e a lth a n d h a p p in e s s fo r th e c o m in g y e a r. A s trik in g a s p e c t o f th e p la y is th a t th e C h ris t C h ild , M a ry an d J o s e p h n e v e r a p p e a r. A t m id n ig h t m u ffle d v o ic e s fro m th e fro n t y a rd c o a le s c e d in to th e b e g in n in g n o te s of "D o b ry j V e c h ir T o b i.” W e all ju m p e d u p an d h u rrie d to th e fro n t d o o r to g re e t th e V e rte p an d jo in in th e ir s o n g . T h e m e m b e rs o f th e V e rte p s e e m e d to h a ve s te p p e d o u t o f a H u ts u l v illa g e . T h e m en , d re s s e d in o rn a te s h e e p s k in vests, w o o le n c o a ts an d tra d itio n a l s q u a re d -o ff hats, c a rrie d d e c o ra te d a x e s c a lle d “to p irts i.” T h e w o m e n w o re b lo u s e s of th ic k h o m e s p u n lin en c lo th , ric h ly e m b ro id e re d w ith d e n s e d e s ig n s th a t th e ir m o th e rs ’ m o th e rs ’ m o th e rs had p e r fe c te d a n d h a d p e rh a p s e v en e m b ro id e re d . A y o u n g H u ts u l, p la y in g th e “s o p ilk a ” (flu te ), e v o k e d th e s o u n d s o f th e C a rp a th ia n m o u n ta in s . A s g u e s ts o f h o n o r, m y fa th e r a n d I h a d th e b e st p la c e s to v ie w th e s p e c ta c le an d th e re fo re b o re th e b ru n t of th e g y p s y ’s s h e n a n ig a n s a n d th e g o a t’s a tte m p ts to nip at us. T h e s c e n e o f C h ris t’s b irth w as c le v e rly s h ifte d to a m o d e rn e n v iro n m e n t. W h e n th e J e w is h h e ra ld b ro u g h t n e w s o f th e g re a t e v e n t to th e evil K in g H e ro d , he s h o w e d th e kin g th e h e a d lin e s fro m th e lo cal p a p e r w h ic h h ad fe a tu re d th is as th e le a d s to ry . C h u c k le s s p re a d th ro u g h th e a u d ie n c e w h e n th e evil K in g ’s o u t b u rs t w a s m a d e in th e R u s s ia n la n g u a g e . T h e m e ta p h o r w a s lost on n o o n e. F o llo w in g e n th u s ia s tic a p p la u s e , th e ho stess th a n k e d th e c a ro lle rs an d in vite d th e m to th e ta b le . Fresh p la te s a n d g la s s e s w e re set o u t fo r th e h u n g ry p e rfo rm e rs , b u t the quiet was shortlived. Soon we were all singing again. It sounded much better now with the 15 addi tional voices. Many watched me sing, curious to see if I knew the words. One young man said, “ Pardon me, I thought you were American. How is it that you know the words to so many Christmas carols?” I could have said “ I was just thinking the same think about you!” It was paradoxical that all these good Comsomol members knew so many verses of Christmas carols. I learned later that despite the official campaign against religious holidays, even the staunchest communists have continued to celebrate Christmas through the years. I also discovered that the terms “communist" and “patriot” were not mutually exclusive, as I had earlier believed. A part of me found the evening bittersweet. I fondly remembered carolling for Plast, the Ukrainian youth organization, back in Rochester, NY. But seeing this made me realize that we had only been a shadow of the real thing. These carollers did not wear Ukrainian cos tumes, they wore actual peasant clothing and some of them really were Hutsuls. I realized that a big part of me was American and I longed to be a “ real” Ukrainian, like them, but knew I could never be. I was roused from my reverie by more voices out side the window. “We have competition,” someone said. And very good competition it was too. Four-part har mony made each carol sould like a church hymn. The members of the next Vertep included several university choir members and soloists whom I had seen perform at university concerts. They winked and waved to me in recognition. I found that in the U.S.S.R., much more than in America, people are defined by the company they keep. After seeing me there, at my friend’s house, they knew I was trustworthy. We all squeezed to make room for the new guests in the dining room. I wondered where all the food and drink was coming from, for there seemed to be an end 22 НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, СІЧЕНЬ 1989 Колядники з вертепом. Львів січень 1987 p. Carollers and Verteo. Lviv. 1987 . 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.
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