May the Circle Be Unbroken

In the deep, darkest, coldest part of the winter comes the light - a message of hope through eternity.  I have been thinking about recent highly magnified Hubble telescope images that show three pillars of dust, and the birth of new stars beyond.  Am I the only one whose meditations lead me to link these images to the Three Wise Men following the Star to Bethlehem - to a perfect moment in time and place, a little enclosed space, to witness to the birth of the energy that is our universe? Where does the Light of Love and Life come from? Are words enough to convey such a deep and profound mystery?  Can a human mind even comprehend the immensity of its message?

My husband brought in our Diduch-Grandfather to our Sviata Vecherya feast last night - the eve of Christmas by the Eastern Christian tradition.  Is it possible that the ancients had glimmers of these same images - deep in their meditative quests for understanding? Twelve meatless dishes, kutia, borsch, holubtsi, varenyky, mushrooms of all sorts, fish of several types, stewed fruit - dishes made of simple ingredients.  Watching the stars, learning to see beyond them....  Like life, Sviata Vecherya is time consuming, layered with flavours of the field, the forest, the rivers, and the orchard.  Layered with the flavours of joy, sorrow, passion and inquiry!  What a delicious meal!

Khrystos Razhdayetsia - Slavimo Yoho!! 

Ukrainian Christmas on CKUA Radio

Alberta's CKUA radio has been online, producing original radio shows since 1927.  A treasure originally founded as the radio station of the Universtiy of Alberta, it has been recognized internationally as the voice of Alberta artists, musicians and cultural enthusiasts.

Orest Soltykevych is one of my favorite announcers on CKUA radio.  A friend from way back, his eloquent style and vast knowledge of music - especially music of Eastern Europe is superlative.  You can join him for On Sun Breakfast for Ukrainian Christmas on CKUA radio.  Selecting the great music of the season, celebrating the Orthodox Christmas by the Julian calendar in languages of Ukraine and her neighbors in Eastern Europe (Church Slavonic, Russia, etc.) it is a wonderful way to bring the music of Alberta's ethnic community into your home. 

http://www.ckua.com/

Banff/Canmore 104.3. Calgary 93.7. Drumheller/Hanna 91.3. Edmonton 94.9. Edson 103.7. Fort McMurray 96.7. Grande Prairie 100.9. Hinton 102.5. Lethbridge ...

Ukrainian Christmas on World FM

Remember listening to the Ukrainian programs in the evening as a child?  Radio shows from Camrose, Edmonton, and a variety of locales took advantage of the crisp clear winter weather for great long distance radio reception - it was great to listen, to sing along, to hear that everyone was enjoying the season.  It was a way of connecting to the entire Ukrainian diaspora it seemed to me.  Everybody was listening from the farms, from the town, cities, in the vehicles - wonderful!

Thanks to www.worldfm.ca you can listen where ever you may be!  Ukrainian Christmas on World FM has great holiday programming this year.  Make sure to send this contact information to all your family and friends! And PRINT A COPY FOR THE GRANDPARENTS! You can also hear in the Edmonton area on 101.7 FM!

UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS RADIO SPECIALS (all times MT)

101.7 World FM

Monday, January 7, 2013

· 4:00-4:30 pm Christmas music & greetings

· 4:30-5:00 pm Father Kenneth Kearns Bilingual School

· 5:00-5:30 pm Dnipro Choir

· 5:30-6:00 pm Ukrainian Youth Unity (CYM, Liga ukraintsiv, Liga ukrainok, etc.)

· 6:00-6:30 pm St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish

· 6:30-7:00 pm St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral

· 7:00-8:00 pm Xmas Liturgical Highlights, St. John’s Cathedral

Friday, January 18, 2013

· 6:00-6:30 pm Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization

· 6:30-7:00 pm Dnipro Choir

NEW FEATURE, JUST IN TIME FOR DRIVING HOME FROM MIDNIGHT MASS OR CELEBRATING WITH FRIENDS

Their overnight, commercial-free World Music montage will feature songs for Julian Christmas:

· 12 Midnight Jan. 6 to 5:00 am Jan. 7, and

· 12 Midnight Jan. 7 to 5:00 am Jan. 8

Ukrainian carols, holiday songs, etc. interspersed with a few Greek and Serbian festive favourites.

Thanks to Roman Brytan  - Program Director - 101.7 World FM

www.worldfm.ca   10212 Jasper Avenue Edmonton Alberta Canada T2J 5A3

780-863-2040 cell; 780-401-1601 office direct

Kutia - Ukrainian Wheat Berry and Poppy Seed Pudding

amk2012

Ukrainian Christmas Eve Supper, Святя Вечеря,  is a feast beyond one's imagination.  Layers and layers of history, from times of antiquity give meaning to each and every aspect of the meal. Imagine preparing meals in times long past.  Imagine drawing water, harvesting each nutritious morcel from nature, waiting, the pace and rhythms of life.  Imagine the "shadows of forgotten ancestors" as they return for the feast!

Kutia  кутя is a very primitive dish.  Essentially boiled wheat, sweetened with honey and dressed with poppy seeds - it has acquired a mystical symbolism. The creamy, milky, earthy liquor of the boiled wheat is the juice of earth's fertility.  Each grain lives to maturity, is sacrificed and consumed to provide life anew.  Honey-bee spun sunshine,  jelled nectar of the flowers is sweetness, love of life, promise and fulfillment.  And the alluring, almond scent of sweet creamy ground poppy seeds hints of dreamy sleep, deep dark and mysterious repose, the door to eternity.  

The intimate, rich and embracing flavor of this prehistoric pudding is a mystical veil of tradition that hovers between today and the ancient past - how many generations?  One part physical nature, one part sweet spiritual joy, and one part dark night - kutia symbolizes a lifetime!

Kutia  кутя is traditionally the first course in the Ukrainian Christmas Eve meal Святя Вечеря after a fast of 40 days.  Even in pre-history before Christianity, there was a Winter Feast that featured Kutia.  Even then, fasting was a proper way of preparing oneself for a feast - reserving the most important foods to share the magical moment of feasting together as a family!  Even then, a variant called kolyvo коливо without the bitter-black poppy seeds was served at funeral gatherings - but sweeter, joyfully anticipating the life-after.

Celebrating the Ukrainian Christmas Season

The Ukrainian Museum of Canada (Alberta Branch) will hold a special exhibit - Celebrating the Ukrainian Christmas Season - from Tuesday November 6^th until Sunday November 11^th at St. John’s Cultural Centre, 10611 – 110 Avenue, Edmonton. Admission by donation.

Exhibit hours are:

Tuesday November 6: 9:30 am – 9 pm with official opening program from 7 pm – 9 pm on Tuesday

Wednesday November 7: 9:30 am – 4 pm

Thursday November 8: 9:30 am – 8 pm

Friday November 9: 9:30 am – 4 pm

Saturday November 10: 9:30 am - 4 pm

Sunday November 11: 12 noon – 4 pm

For more information please contact the museum at 780-441-1062, email info@umcalberta.org or visit www.umcalberta.org