The Winding Road

photo by Lorraine Alford

A while back when I started this blog, before any of the UkrainianVancouver, or UkrainianChicago blogs were up and running, I felt an urge to write.  There seemed to be so much information emanating from the north of Ukraine, and very little cross-North America news.  I know that Bohdan at Yevshan started a Ukrainian community events calendar shortly after, but there wasn't anybody just chatting about stuff. So I found my niche.

Father Taras Krochak

Meandering thoughts about community, connections, long tendrils of acquaintance-friendship-relationship circled in my mind.  It seemed that so many of the people in the Ukrainian community knew each other!  Sadly, across time and distance we would mostly say - haven't heard about them for a long time!  Quiet moments full of rich memories....where are those formerly dear friends now?

My dearest friend, Mom, is up to her eyeballs in garden, grandchildren, and genealogical studies. I took a photo of her glorious bar-v-nok to use as my blog's calling card.  Long, tender yet resilient vines of green bursting out of the ground and reaching with their endlessly beautiful periwinkle coloured blossoms - stretching across the garden path.  Seeking what? Seeking the future?

Korovai by Luba Macewko

Preparing for my daughter's wedding last summer, many dear friends contributed their garden bar-v-nok, to braid and curl, twine and twist the pliable filaments for the traditional regalia to be used at their Marriage Sacrament - the Crowning.  I couldn't believe how long the vines stayed beautifully green!  No wilting, no drooping, the crowns retained their vitality well into the second week after the wedding and further!  I am reminded that they are evergreen, but wow do they stay long!

When I got married, my grandmother had laboriously tended and babied a myrtle plant in her house in Manitoba to use for my wreath! Smaller vines, grown on a firmer stock, but equally beautiful, if more fragile looking.  She watered the vines judiciously to exact the precise firmness - not too tender and slender, but not too tough or impliable - retaining the family wisdom about a proper match, of course.  Then my friend Ken, the florist thought to apply gold leaf to the myrtle leaves, which Baba, in all humility thought would be too ostentatious. Ken did apply miniature white blossoms though - the wreath was simply stunning.

The resilient vines of barvinok in my garden took on a deep, thick green over the winter, but now their gyrating filaments are warmed and nourished in the spring rains. It is hard to tell where one slender shoot ends and another begins.  Life is like that too.  Grafted onto the vine of life, the barvinok reminds us to stay connected to the vine, even in the cold of winter because the spring will return with its luscious growth, time, after time, after time.......

Wedding Vinok Instructions



The Ukrainian wedding wreath is called a vinok. The word is related to the Ukrainian word for a marriage ceremony - vinchannya. It is a lovely symbol of everlasting love to wear a wreath of evergreen periwinkle - barvinok in Ukrainian. Even in the autumn and possibly under the snow in a protected area you may find periwinkle growing, protected by its mystical evergreen properties. The amazingly delicate strands of this prolific ground cover are gathered, and wound together to form a wreath.

The actual process is rather simple. Take two longish strands and cross their ends. Taking a third strand, place it between the two strands. Using one of the outside strands, simply wind the barvinok a couple of times to bind the three. Hold the bound part closely in your fingertips. Repeat the process with more strands, step by step, binding each individually. The closer you place the leaves one to another, the more lush the wreath, however the green strands woven together this way look beautiful too.

The vinkopletennia event is traditionally a collaboration of women who beautify the wreath for the bride. Remember to pass the wreath through many hands, pinching the last twining.




 The young bride will appreciate the many hands, young and old, who witnessed her transition through the marriage preparations, and the vinchannya.  In this case, the bride's baba played a very important role.  The entire vinkopletennia was beautiful however BABA's blessing, wisdom and loving welcome made it perfect.

My gentleman florist friend believed that the evergreen wasn't beautiful enough and tried to hot-glue on little white baby's breath flowers - didn't work. Then he did some research and discovered individual sheets of gold leaf to overlay onto the leaves - which might have worked on hardier leaves or perhaps a dry product - not worth the bother. Then a young bride mentioned that a bit of gold spray paint might shine up the leaves - but the concensus among the ladies was that the barvinok itself was beautiful enough.

Gather enough long, long strands for the wreath. Keep them clean and cool in a bowl. When the wreath is measured correctly to fit (remember to make two to fit the married couple's heads), you need not crush the strands too harshly with bobbypins.

Storing the wreath(s) between weaving at the vinkopletennia and the vinchannya (marriage ceremony) is important. Keep the wreath cool, wrapped to prevent it drying out, possibly misting the leaves to make them shine.

A vinok, made by many hands, together at a vinkopletennia is a beautiful gift for a bride.  The ceremony, the tradition, togetherness, life, love and hope everlasting - what a way to start the next part of her journey through life!

http://ukrainiancalgary.blogspot.ca/2012/08/flowers-family-future-vinok.html

http://ukrainiancalgary.blogspot.ca/2012/07/vinkopletenia-in-calgary-2012.html


  

Flowers, Family, Future - The Vinok

Vinok craft at Calgary Ukrainian Festival 2012

From ancestral times, the language of flowers has been used to convey ideas, feelings and emotions. The Ukrainian wreath (vinok) represents the female principle, wisdom, elegance and beauty. But the vinok is not simply a beauty accessory. In the hands of a healer, a practitioner, the wreath is a tool of mystical power.

The great grandmothers knew the secrets, how to weave and when, and which flowers to use. Collecting flowers from forested areas and marshes, on fields and mountains, they recognized which herbs protected and restored life. Ancestral homes depended on medicinal herbs, flowers, plants to protect and ensure the family's longevity. That is why much of Ukrainian folklore is tied up in passing on the wisdom of this herbology.

Celebrating the last harvested sheaf of grain by decorating it with a wreath flowers anticipates next year's harvest. Ritual Ukrainian wedding preparations, and vinkopletennia bring folkwisdom alongside Byzantine crowning prayers during the religious marriage. Little girls of 3 years begin to wear little wreaths woven by their mothers.



And with every age, and for every purpose there are specific flowers and colors to be used, each carrying cultural wisdom, symbolic or medicinal value.

Immortelle (strawflower) (bezsmertnik) is known as the everlasting flower, representing good health, because these flowers retain their form and color when dried, and today's cosmetic companies use its extracted precious essential oil for its anti-aging properties. Floral water from the petite, intense blue cornflower (voloshky), or bachelor's buttons, can be used as a natural mild astringent, antiseptic to prevent eye infections. Yarrow, (dereveey) in ancient times known to staunch the flow of blood from wounds stands for resilience and bravery. The trailing growncover periwinkle, vinca or myrtle (barvinok) is a delicate, yet hardy evergreen vine representing everlasting life. Cherry and apple blossoms, a symbol of feminine beauty, bring happiness and love, knowledge and health. The kalyna-highbush cranberry, represents beauty, and fidelity to one's people. Lovage,(lyoubistok) a perennial native of southern Europe resembling celery with large flat yellow flowers, now used as a culinary flavoring, was once considered an aphrodisiac. It and cornflower (voloshky) stand for committment and loyalty. The big, graceful and feminine blossoms of rose, hollyhocks (mal'va) and peony with their strong colors and fragrance represent faith, hope and love. The healing companionship of marigold, daisies and chamomile (romashki) in bright white, yellow, orange, and terracotta colors attract beautiful butterflies, deter garden pests, and therefore represent purity and chastity. Hops (xhmil') whiskers represent flexibility and understanding. The blood red poppy, (mak) beloved flower of Ukraine, represents sadness and sorrow.

And the wreath is festooned with colored ribbons, each carring meaning too! Light brick or brown represents Mother Earth, harvest and generosity, earth and life-giving food. Yellow represents the sun's flame, light, strength, youthful ambition, love, and family. Light and dark green represents hope, freshness, victory and wealth. Christmas, Easter and Epiphany are green holidays. Blue and light blue represent the air, sky, water, good health, and truthfulness. Deep yellow or gold represents bread, spirituality, wisdom. Violet is the color of faith, wisdom, trust and patience. Raspberry represents honesty, generosity. Rose represents plenty, success and contentment. White is the symbol of purity, birth, rejoicing. Red is the magical color of folklore, symbolizing life, love, action, passion, spirituality, and Christian ministry. A wreath of many colors represents family happiness, peace and love. 

The ribbons are fastened to the wreath in this order. In the center the light brick colored ribbons, to the left and the right two yellow ribbons, then light and dark green, then blue and light blue, then on one side deep yellow, and on the other side violet, then raspberry and rose. White ribbons on both sides, symbols of chastity, to tie. The white ribbon on the left carried ancient symbols, the embroidered Sun, and the right, and embroidered Moon. A white ribbon without design memorializes a dear one who has died. Light blue ribbons entwined in the hair called upon the viewer's mercy, as it symbolized one's orphan upbringing. 

Making and wearing a wreath is just a part of its beauty. The deeper meaning, the age old wisdom is another gift to pass forward! 


 http://www.yevshan.com/main.asp?cid=677&pid=23938

Vinkopletenia in Calgary 2012

Weddings are wonderful, and Ukrainian weddings are even more special, especially in Calgary.  The colors, traditions, the layer upon layer of symbolism in all the events around the wedding just boggle the mind.  It was just so at last night's Vinkopletenia for a beautiful Ukrainian Calgary bride-to-be.  A Ukrainian vinok, the wreath for a wedding is very special.  Though in a religious ceremony of the  Byzantine rite, they will be crowned in glory with golden crowns in church, the traditional vinok for a wedding is evergreen (not like a tree!) from the periwinkle plant called barvinok. 

Barvinok is a low ground covering vine that is very delicate.  The shiny little leaves stay green even in winter, hence the ever-green category.  The fine springs of barvinok are woven together intricately.  Nature crowns the couple, granting them a love that is "ever-green" and ever new.  Makes me think of Barbra Streisand but....

How lucky this young bride had her baba there to bless the ceremony - to pass the traditions of pra-baba's home onto another generation of lovers.  Isn't that the best gift? Time!  Time to learn, time to appreciate, time to share and time to plan the future. Friends and family joined in to wish the "moloda" every blessing upon her new journey.  Life is a circle, everything dependent upon what came before!  And the fruits of time also enter into the circle of life.  Wow! 

The songs of the vinkopletenia ceremony were chosen specifically for this event - Ukrainian folk songs telling of love, stories of nature, the seasons of love, water, moon, stars, roses, kozaks and maidens.  A tradition as old as time, and new as young love. 

Before the event was over the guests all participated in a wish giving standing before the "hiltse" or tree of life, just like the fairy godmothers in Sleeping Beauty.  Thanks to all the lovely musicians who sang with their hearts, revealed the nuances in lyrics and shared the stories of their loves.  May the "molodiata" keep the traditions of their ancestral homes for generations to come.  Mnohaya lita!!