Greetings on this Evening

The opening and closing lines of this carol hint at at a traditional visit by carolers: we start with a greeting and a call for refreshments, and end with good wishes:

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Greetings on this evening
To the master of this house; rejoice!

Rejoice, o Earth: the Son of God is born!
[This refrain repeats after each line.]

Cover the tables with fine linens; rejoice!
And set out breads baked with spring wheat; rejoice!
For you will have as your guests three feast days; rejoice!
The first of the feasts— the holy Nativity; rejoice!
And the second feast, St Basil’s day; rejoice!
And the third feast, Holy Theophany; rejoice!
And by these words, be healthy and be well! Rejoice:

Rejoice, o Earth: the Son of God is born!

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Within this frame is a reference to three allegorical visitors: the three winter holidays of the Nativity (Dec 25th), St. Basil’s Day (Jan 1st), and Theophany (Jan 6th).¹ As in all oral traditions, there are variations on this theme: various versions, with different configurations of visitors. A common thread in all versions is the meal, the Christmas Eve vigil known by various names in various cultures. Here, too, we see the overlay of Christian symbolism onto older pagan traditions, in which the honored guests at the midwinter feast were the spirits of departed ancestors.² The empty place setting is an enduring example: a symbolic place at the family table, kept for all those remembered.

This particular painting marries images taken from the carol’s text with traditions from my own family of origin. Through the window we see the first star: the sign that it is time to sit for supper. While regional cuisines vary across Ukraine, many of the dishes depicted here are ones I watched my mother make, and later helped to prepare: multiple fish dishes, of course; borshch with vushka (rice and mushroom dumplings); and, for dessert, the traditional kutia and uzvar: a sweet wheatberry dish, and a winter fruit compote. The salt cellar at far right is in memory of my mother… who, in lean years, laughed that salt and pepper could be counted towards the twelve dishes required by tradition.

¹The latter shares a date with the celebration of Epiphany in the West, but differs in focus. Those following the Julian Calendar know these dates as Jan 7th, Jan 14th, and Jan 19th.
²Máchal, Jan. Slavic Mythology. Cooper Square Publishers, 1964. Mythology of All Races, vol. 3.

This recording is part of the Polyphony Project, whose mission is "to explore, preserve and present the living musical folklore of Ukrainian villages." (https://www.polyphonyproject.com/en) These women were recorded in Stratiivka, in Vinnyts'ka Oblast (region).

Although this recording is very different in character from the others included here, it represents an authentic expression of this carol as preserved through oral tradition.