OUR TRADITIONS: ROOTS OF OUR CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS

Our, the Ukrainian Christmas traditions are full of deep symbolism in all its elements. First of all the Ukrainian culture was able to keep the meaning of this feast, namely the birth of Chist.

We glorify this great event in carols and even in greeting, we use on this day - "Christ is Born!" Another feature is that we celebrate this feast according to another, an ancient calendar, separate from the rest of the world for whom Christmas has long been replaced by "Xmas" with Coca-Cola and Santa Claus, with panic fuss in search of a gifts, with parties, etc. Moreover, the name of the Lord not even mentioned in the English version of the Christmas greeting. 

A number of our Christmas rites date back to ancient times. According to prominent Romanian historian and investigator of religion Mircea Eliade a festive rye sheaf (didukh) and ritual meal of wheat (kutya, kollyvo) was traditional for Slavs long before BC (Source: Mircea Eliade. Histoire des croyances et des idees religieuses. Tome I. De l'age de la pierre aux mystere d'Eleusis. P.: Payot, 1976).

didukh and kutya

Festive didukh and kutya for us are a symbols of link with the ancestors, through these symbols we emphasize that we realize ourselves as an elements in eternal chain of generations of our kind, nation and race. Celebration of Christmas is one of the moments when we reach the fullness of our being.

Our faith is alive as it was 2 thousand years ago despite all the efforts of liberals, cultural marxists, new-age reformers and other "herods," who do all possible to destroy it. 

Our faith is alive! It lives in our calendar, in didukh, it lives in happy families at the festive table and in Christmas carols on frosty streets. 

Christ was born! Glorify Him!

By the materials of Zentropa Ukraine