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Ivan: I know, I know, she is baking a holiday bread, a “ Kerechun” . Teacher: Not a "kerechun” but a “korochun” , that is the proper way of saying it. And now ask your mother, how many different ingredients are in it. Wife: I mixed twelve ingredients into the holiday bread’s dough. There is wheat, rye, oats, sunflower seeds, beans, rice, fish, apples, pears, plums, and honey. Teacher: Did you hear that Ivan? Twelve different in gredients! But do you know why this is so? Ivan: Yes... yes... Teacher: Listen, I will tell you about it (Narrating) A long time ago, when our ancestors were still pagans, they celebrated old, pagan holidays. Around this time of year, which is now Christmas, they celebrated the bread harvest. They gave honor to the bread they made that year. They would pre pare a meal from twelve different courses, Ьакз a bread also made with twelve different ingredients, just like your mother is doing it now... and that bread was called “ korochun” to symbolize that the days were getting longer and the nights shorter. Ivan: So that’s what it means! Well I thought that “koro chun” came from the Hungarian "karachon” ! Teacher: On the contrary, Hungarians borrowed this word from us... Grandmother: Learn from your teacher, Ivan, he is an intelligent and learned person. Teacher: He is learning Grandmother. Ivan is the best student in school. Ivan: Now I know why Mom bakes a “korochun”. Teacher: (Continues to narrate) With time, this holiday became indentified with the Christian holiday of Christmas. And this is how we continue to cele brate this old holiday today, preserving old tradi tions from the bread harvest... And now, Ivan, stay healthy. Don’t forget that we’re going caroling this evening! ACT II The same house. (Christmas Eve. The household is preparing for the traditional dinner). Grandmother: (Reciting with pathos) Surround the table with the chains, son, like our old traditions dictate Enclose the table my son, so that our house will be filled with unity, peace and harmony... Husband: (Master of the house): (Making noise with the chains, encircling the table) I am wrapping these chains around the table. Let this house be a place of unity, peace and harmony through the coming year. Grandmother: (To her daughter-in-law) Cover this table with a table cloth and place the “korochun” there, it will stand there until Epiphany, and around the “ korochun” place four little breads. In each one of them, place two candles... and light them... Wife: I place the “ korochun” on the table and surround it with four little breads... I placed the candles in each one of then ... and I lit them... Grandmother: Now son, go to the barn and bring back the finest sheaf of rye with the untouched stalks... And bring some straw and spread it around the house Husband: I’ll go and get them (Walks out) Grandmother: (To daughter-in-law) Did you feed the animals? Wife: Yes, I fed them. Grandmother: Remember, at midnight the starry sky will open...at that moment all the animals will speak to their Creator...If they’re hungry, they’ll complain and blame their master... Wife: I gave the cattle food and water. I fed the chickens from the trough and I threatened the fruit trees in the orchard with my ax so that they produce a lot of fruit... Grandmother: Now place the ax right under the thre shold, just like our grandparents and great grand parents used to do it. Wife: I placed it under the threshold. It will protect us from evil the entire year, from bad luck, and from all sorts of misfortune. So that famine will not hit us, or the punishments of the master... Husband: (Opens the door and stands on the threshold. In one hand he carries the sheaf and in the other the straw. From the threshold he blesses his fam ily) I bow with the sheaf of rye! Wife and Grandmother: Be healthy. Husband: (Walks into the house, places the sheaf of rye in the corner near the table, scatters the straw throught the house) May wheat and animal feed reproduce arounds us...May the barns be filled with grain and may the storage bins be filled with feed ...(Everyone sits at the table. The husband takes a handful of beans and scatters them around the house) Whatever we plant, may it grow and ripen...May the cattle multiply, may the cows have calves and sheep have lambs. ..(Stands and sings a Christmas carol): Wondrous tidings Today Mary gave birth To a son in Bethlehem Our unique Mary (Wife sets the table and serves dinner) Husband (Pouring a liquor): Here is to good health! I’ll drink a shot of honey liquor for your health, mother...and for your, my wife...For good health! Grandmother: For good health, my son! Wife: For good health, my only one! Husband: For a long life! For us all! Let us be! (They chink glasses, begin to eat. Carolers appear at the house singing a Christmas carol) 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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