Russian/Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas

By Shelby Heater '22

January 2019

Russian Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas is the Christmas holiday that is celebrated in the Julian calendar. In the Gregorian calendar (the calendar that is most common in the world), it is celebrated on the 7th of January. During the holiday, several honored traditions are kept over the years. When everyone shows up dinner starts. Everybody walks into the kitchen and washes their hands and arms to wash the dirt of the year off. They then grab, when they are done washing their hands and arms, one of each utensil - no knives. They also grab a shot glass filled with whiskey, red wine, or grape juice (for children 7 and under). Then everyone gathers around a long table able to fit at least 60 people that has white candles with a beautiful design down the middle with wheat, garlic, and salt at each candle. During the entire dinner, everyone has to be dead silent. When they put their utensils down they have to have them face down because it is not time to eat yet.

The youngest of the family is then taken outside to look for the North Star and stays out there until they find it. The first star in the eastern time commences the meal so the youngest is the finder of the star. The reason for that tradition is to see where Jesus is born. Then the blessings start. The head of the table (the eldest of the family) starts the prayers mostly in the traditional language, Ukrainian Orthodox. There is a part in the prayer where we all go around the table and lift our shot glasses in the air one by one, saying “dybosia” loud enough for everyone to hear.Then you drink it at once (like a shot).

Before the prayers end, they pass out apache (homemade bread). They pass it from the head of the table, and everyone needs a piece. The prayers end, and the first dish is brought out. Before anyone can eat any of the twelve dishes, they have to have the head chef take the first spoon full. The twelve lenten dishes symbolize the twelve apostles who gathered for the Last Supper. The twelve dishes are in order of what the family ate during Christ time. These are the dishes my family eats in order: honey, garlic, peas with onions, lima beans, sauerkraut, potatoes, pierogies, rice, mushrooms, and prunes. Everyone is only aloud to use the utensils that they are given, no plates. At the end of each bowl there has to be some food left over for the people that come to the door for food. If anyone wants more apache, they yell out “More apache please.”

When the dinner is over, the eldest son goes around the table and tries to pick up every piece of silverware that is on the table at once to bring good luck to the family. After that, you have Saint Nicholas come and deliver the presents to everyone while we all gather around the Christmas tree and get our presents and open them. That is Russian Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas in my house hold every year.