St. Nicholas reigns as the patron saint of the Ukraine because of the miracles worked by the original "Bishop Nicholas of Myra" during the 11th century A.D. Prince Vladimir the Great traveled to Constan- tinople to be baptized, and arrived home to tell his subjects about Nicholas and his wonderful works.
Before the Russian Revolution, Christmas gifts for children were said to come from Babouschka, by legend an old woman who was unable to join the three wise men on their quest for baby Jesus--and now wanders the world in search of him. Today, Ukrainian children wait for St. Nicholas on their traditional Orthodox Christmas Day of January 6th. Other fea- tures of the celebration include caroling by the kolyadniky(singers), star shaped ornament decorations, and a Christmas Eve dinner including 12 meatless dishes in memory of the disciples of Christ.
Our Ukrainian St. Nicholas bears toys and a small fir tree, and wears rich Orthodox attire in shades of cream and red. He offers a bowl of kutya, traditional Ukrainian Christmas pudding made of wheatberries, honey, and poppy seeds. On Christmas Eve, Ukrainian families eat their kutya from a common dish to symbolize unity, while its ingredients indicate hope, immortality, happiness, success, and good sleep.
BACK-LIMITED EDITIONS
BACK-HOLIDAYS
Home|About Us|Order Information|Policy/Privacy|Mailing List|Newsletter Info|Newsletter|Site Map|Links|