How Christmas is celebrated in Ukraine and Scotland
By Yelyzaveta Basharova
Christmas in Ukraine is a special and deeply rooted holiday celebrated with a set of traditions, customs, and religious ceremonies. The celebration is influenced by both the Eastern Orthodox faith and ancient pagan rituals. Here are some of the key aspects of Christmas in Ukraine:
Christmas Decorations in the city square
1.Orthodox Christian traditions:
- The main festive event is the Christmas Eve meal known as the Holy Supper (Sviata Vechera/Свята Вечеря).
- The Holy Supper is a family event with a strict set of rituals. The table is usually covered with a white tablecloth, symbolising the swaddling cloth of Christ, and in the centre is placed a sheaf of wheat called a "diduch/дідух" - symbolising the importance of the harvest and a tribute to the ancestors.
- The meal begins with the head of the family saying a prayer and breaking the Christmas bread (kolache/калач). The family then shares the bread and other traditional dishes.
2.Fasting
- Forty days before Christmas begins is the Christmas fast, one of the longest of the year. It does not rank first in terms of strictness, but it lasts forty days and is necessary to purify the soul and body before Christmas. During the Christmas fast any vegetables and fruits, porridge, legumes, and mushrooms are allowed, and on most days is allowed to eat fish. Meat, eggs, cheese, dairy products, and butter are not allowed during Lent. Usually, children do not take part in it as they are young, and everybody is worried about their health.
3. Traditional dishes:
- Twelve traditional dishes are often prepared for the Holy Supper, symbolising the twelve apostles or the twelve months. These are necessarily kutya/Кутя - boiled wheat mixed with poppy and honey, juice after boiling fruits, walnuts, sultanas; borscht/борщ (beetroot soup); golubtsy/голубці (stuffed cabbage) and various fish dishes.
- Meat is usually avoided, reflecting the Christmas fast observed by Orthodox Christians before Christmas.
4.Carols and Shchedrivki:
- Christmas carols, known as 'carols/Колядки' and 'Shchedrivki/Щедрівки', are a favourite tradition. From the evening of the sixth of January, it is customary to carol in traditional clothing with a big star in hand: carolers hum Christmas carols. Boys and girls prepare special songs and poems which they take from house to house, entertaining their neighbours in exchange for sweet gifts and coins. It is believed that the more carolers who come to the house, the more prosperity and wealth the family will have during the next year.
5. The morning of the seventh of January
The morning of the seventh of January begins with people greeting each other with the phrase "Christ is born!" Христос народився! and the response "Praise Him!" Славімо його! On this day, people go to church for Christmas prayers and then gather with their families. On this day people no longer limit themselves to fasting food
Bells are common during the festive seasons in songs and decorations.
interesting fact!
"Shchedryk/Щедрик" is a winter Ukrainian folk song written by Mykola Leontovych in 1901, it went through five revisions over twenty years, and after being sung by the Kyiv choir, gained its worldwide popularity and now many people know it as reworked version for the English lyrics as ‘Carol of the Bells’. It is now heard at Christmas in every country of the world.
Popular Christmas markets held from November until January
In Scotland, Hogmanay - New Year's Eve, has been the main celebration for a long time, but now it is becoming more important and popular for everyone to celebrate a great family holiday - Christmas, which is celebrated with a great set of long-standing traditions.
1. Decorations:
- As in many other places, Scots decorate their homes with Christmas lights, tinsel, and furniture decorations.
- Christmas trees are a common sight in Scottish homes. Families often colourfully decorate a Christmas tree together, these can be either real or artificial.
2. Traditional Scottish food:
- Christmas meals in Scotland often include traditional dishes such as roast turkey, mince pie, roast beef, or ham. Haggis, turnips, and potatoes may also be present, although these dishes are more commonly associated with later (New Year) celebrations.
- An important attribute of the festive table is Christmas pudding, a popular dessert often served with brandy butter or custard.
3. Christmas markets and events:
- Christmas markets are held in various cities and towns to sell festive items, Christmas tree decorations, lots of baked goods, and sweets. There are also often horse-drawn carousels for children, slides, an ice-skating rink, and other games and activities.
- Throughout the Christmas season, carol services, services for the faithful, choirs singing in cathedrals, concerts and other festive events are also organised.
4. The tradition of "first legs":
- The tradition of "first foot in the house" is strong in Scotland. The first person to enter the house after midnight on New Year's Eve is called the "first foot in" and is believed to bring good luck in the coming year. It is considered good luck if the first person to cross the threshold of the house is a handsome dark-haired man who brings biscuits, bread, whiskey and a lump of small coal for wealth and warmth. Also, the person who comes into the house is sometimes even given food or coal as a symbol of fuel, given how they got to the celebration.
5. Hogmanay celebrations:
- Christmas is celebrated in Scotland, but Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) tends to be an even bigger celebration. This is a time when many people exchange gifts and gather with close friends.