Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
CHRISTMAS TRADITION | HOLY EVE MEAL<br />
Christmas celebration<br />
keeps heritage alive<br />
Ukrainian feast enjoyed with family and friends<br />
BY NADEN HEWKO<br />
FREELANCE WRITER<br />
My parents immigrated to Canada<br />
from Ukraine, where Christmas was<br />
celebrated on the old Julian calendar,<br />
making this holy day fall on Jan. 6 in<br />
Canada.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y respected Dec. 25 celebrations<br />
also, but remained faithful to<br />
their own culture.<br />
Christmas Eve was regarded as the<br />
most special evening in anticipation<br />
of the birth of Christ.<br />
A holy eve supper was prepared for<br />
the immediate family. I recall my<br />
mother including us in the preparations<br />
for this meal of traditional<br />
Ukrainian food.<br />
A day or two before, our task was to<br />
pick over a few cups of wheat, removing<br />
any weed seeds and damaged<br />
grain. This was soaked overnight in<br />
cold water and formed the basis of<br />
kutia, the first dish served.<br />
<strong>The</strong> wheat was gently simmered<br />
until tender and the kernels burst<br />
open. Poppy seeds were partially<br />
ground and added to the cooking<br />
mixture. It was then cooled and<br />
sweetened with liquid honey.<br />
Father would bring a little evergreen<br />
from town and keep it frozen<br />
outdoors until morning. It was<br />
placed in a container of sand, then<br />
brought into the house and decorated<br />
by the children — with his supervision.<br />
We also had to keep the woodbox<br />
filled because everything was<br />
cooked on the wood burning kitchen<br />
stove. Mother spent the day in the<br />
kitchen preparing all the food.<br />
<strong>The</strong> dishes in order of presentation<br />
include: kutia, borsch, braided<br />
bread called kalach, fried fish, sauteed<br />
onions with mushroom sauce,<br />
two kinds of perogies, two kinds of<br />
cabbage rolls, fruit compote made<br />
from dried apples, figs and prunes,<br />
pumpyshkies —deep fried like<br />
doughnuts without the hole — and<br />
baked fruit filled rolls, called perishkies.<br />
<strong>The</strong> menu can vary with the families,<br />
but all start with kutia.<br />
Growing up, the children looked<br />
forward to this delicious meal. When<br />
I married, I kept up the tradition of<br />
the Ukrainian style Christmas Eve<br />
supper but adjusted the date to<br />
Dec. 24 in keeping with our Canadian<br />
dates.<br />
We wear our Ukrainian shirts<br />
embroidered by relatives in Ukraine.<br />
Our children love the food and prefer<br />
it over the traditional turkey dinner<br />
we serve on Dec. 25.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y often choose to be home for<br />
the Holy Eve supper rather than for<br />
Christmas Day.<br />
One year, one of our newly married<br />
sons could not make it to the farm for<br />
the Holy Eve Supper yet he expressed<br />
a deep desire to have a traditional<br />
meal on the 24th.<br />
We were able to freeze and pack off<br />
most of the dishes and have it delivered<br />
to where he and his bride were<br />
spending the holiday. Our children<br />
have learned how to prepare the special<br />
food for the Ukrainian Holy Eve<br />
supper when they cannot join us due<br />
to distance and work.<br />
<strong>The</strong> grandchildren have developed<br />
a fondnesss for the meal and our<br />
adult granddaughters have learned<br />
to successfully prepare a Holy Eve<br />
meal using my recipes.<br />
<strong>The</strong> tradition is being passed on<br />
through the generations.<br />
When Jan. 6 comes around, I prepare<br />
the Holy Eve supper food once<br />
more and ask family and close<br />
friends to share it with us.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y enjoy the food and we enjoy<br />
their company.<br />
FARM LIVING<br />
Wishing You A Happy Holiday Season<br />
Ron<br />
Kostyshyn<br />
MLA for Swan River<br />
204-734-4900<br />
RonKostyshyn.ca<br />
Stan<br />
Struthers<br />
MLA for Dauphin<br />
204-622-7630<br />
StanStruthers.ca<br />
Season’s Greetings<br />
At this festive season, we are pleased to extend<br />
our best wishes to you and your families for a safe,<br />
happy holiday season and a prosperous 2013.<br />
“Merry Christmas to All”<br />
Enjoy a wonderful<br />
holiday season with family<br />
and friends.<br />
I look forward to serving you<br />
as your MLA in the<br />
New Year.<br />
�����������������������������<br />
��������������������������� �������������������<br />
���������������������������������<br />
��������<br />
��������������������������<br />
����������������������������������<br />
THE WESTERN PRODUCER | WWW.PRODUCER.COM | DECEMBER 13, 2012<br />
Merry Christmas &<br />
Happy New Year<br />
George Rogers, MLA<br />
Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees<br />
Proud to serve the residents of Leduc-Beaumont<br />
Constituency Offi ce: Legislature Offi ce:<br />
#54, 5203 - 50 St. 503 Legislature Building<br />
Leduc, AB T9E 6Z5 10800 - 97 Ave.<br />
Phone: (780) 986-4652 Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6<br />
Fax: (780) 986-5228 Phone: (780) 422-2229<br />
Email: leduc.beaumont@assembly.ab.ca<br />
25<br />
ABOVE: All dolled up for Christmas are<br />
husband Slavie Hewko, son Allen, daughter<br />
Shirley Parkinson, granddaughter Zoe, Naden<br />
Hewko and granddaughter Ann Hewko. Our<br />
Ukrainian shirts were embroidered by our<br />
relatives in Ukraine.<br />
FRONT, CLOCKWISE: Some of the food on the<br />
Hewko’s Christmas Eve supper table include<br />
Kutia, which is the first dish served, filled<br />
baked rolls called perishkies, kalach, perogies<br />
and centre, cabbage rolls with a bowl of onion<br />
and mushroom sauce. | NADEN HEWKO PHOTOS
Change language