Edible Vancouver Island November/December 2023

fast. During this fasting, believers only eat lean food–no meat, eggs or dairy products. The main dish is kutya–boiled wheat with poppy seeds, nuts, raisins and honey. It is the same throughout the country and symbolizes connection between generations and prosperity. Other dishes vary in different regions of Ukraine, some of them with symbolic meaning. There is borsch (beetroot soup); soup from dried mushrooms; perogies with stewed sauerkraut; cabbage rolls with rice and buckwheat seeds; baked fish; herring; stewed beans; stewed cabbage with mushrooms; vinaigrette salad with boiled beets, carrots, beans, sauerkraut and homemade sunflower oil; Uzvar (a drink from dried fruits); and white wheat bread with raisins and poppy seeds. Mother would cover the table with a linen tablecloth that was embroidered with beautiful flowers by my grandmother, and in the centre was always placed the big ceramic bowl with kutya. When the first star in the night sky announced Christ’s birth, Grandfather would light the candle, and then we would pray and begin dinner. The little house was full of joy. After the dinner, Grandmother would leave the bowl of kutya and a glass and spoon on the table for the relatives who have died, as souls of the dead fly in the night to their homes to celebrate Christmas. Another very important Ukrainian Christmas tradition is caroling. The carolers–kolyadnyky-are kids and young people who go to neighbours' and relatives' homes to sing carols and wish prosperity, good health and happiness. When the kolyadnyky finish their singing, they get presents of sweets and money. In my childhood, I would wake up early in the morning, when outside was still dark, and go sing the carols to our closest neighbours. My mother had made me a nice linen bag for the presents, and when I returned my bag was always full of nuts, apples, pears, candies and coins, the latter of which I put in the ceramic moneybox to save. My older brother and sister usually joined the vertep, a group of young people who wear costumes of Bible characters and characters from Ukrainian history. They walked on the streets with a big star on a stick singing carols and wishing happiness and prosperity to everybody. Even when I was a student at the university, we had a nice tradition of visiting our university teachers and singing carols for them. I left my home when I was 17 and lived in Kyiv until March 2022, when I escaped with family members as the war with Russia began. But when I lived in Kyiv, I always went home to my parents' to celebrate Christmas. The night train brought me to Zolochiv in the early morning, when the town was still sleeping, the streets empty and quiet. The buildings were dark, but I always knew by the light in the window on the fourth floor in my parents' building that they were waiting for me.

Wishing you the best of the delights and flavours of the season! From all of us at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

Tel: 250-726-4800 www.blackrockresort.com

As a Ukrainian refugee to Canada, Oksana Firak holds memories of her Ukrainian holidays close to her heart and loves to bring the traditions of her youth to her celebrations of today.

20 NOV/DEC 2023 EDIBLE VANCOUVER ISLAND