Today was a special day with our Canadian neighbors who sponsored a Ukrainian Christmas dinner. Christmas is a unique and festive holiday among Ukrainians. People from this European country observe Christmas Eve on December 6. Ukrainians cherish Christmas Eve in a special way. The celebration is centered around the traditional Christmas Eve Holy Supper which begins when the first star appears in the eastern sky. The dinner has twelve dishes celebrating the twelve Apostles. The dishes included in our special dinner included such things as: Kolach - ritual bread, usually eaten after midnight liturgy/mass, Meatless Borscht (beet soup with sour cream), Varenyky and Pyrohy with Various Fillings, Meatless Holubtschi with Rice or Buckwheat Filling, Sauerkraut with Peas, Fasoli (Mashed Beans), stuffed grape leaves and Medvinyk (Honey Cake). Why is the Ukrainian Christmas so important to a group of Canadians? Some of those at the dinner have a Ukrainian family background. The explanation as to why there are so many Ukrainians in that country centers around the encouragement for those with farming experience to immigrate as the country was populated. Sitting around the table with a group of fellows from across our northern boundary who winter in Yuma is an educational experience. You find out that Canada is not completely devoid of problems. Canadians complain about situations in their country just as Americans do. For the Canadians the tough topics were problems with the Native Americans and their reserves and running oil pipelines across British Columbia. There was also health talk such as about a forthcoming trip to Mexico for a procedure for which those at home would have wait for two or three months under the Canadian health system. So on this special day, while the food was different and very delicious, the kind of talk about problem was very familiar.
No comments:
Post a Comment