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| Svajtyj Vecur (Christmas Eve) |
The Christmas celebration for Carpatho-Rusyns,
an East Slavic people hailing from the Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe,
is steeped in ancient tradition. The customs are a mystical blend of old pagan Slavic customs honoring
ancestors and family with the revelations of Eastern Christianity.
The celebration’s main time is actually
Christmas Eve, when the Holy Supper (Svjatyj Vecur, Velija) is served. Many
customs are associated with this solemn meal, and these customs can vary from
village to village and county to county.
In many Carpatho-Rusyn villages, the head of
the household takes some of the food first and feeds it to the animals, since
the animals in the stables were the first to witness the coming of the Savior
when He was born in a manger. This gesture is to help assure a prosperous year
for all of the family’s animals. Peas are thrown out to the chickens to assure
their fertility (and that of the household’s) for the coming year.
In the middle of the table rests three key
items – the icon of the Nativity of Christ. The Kracun or Christmas bread,
and a triple candle stand. The icon proclaims the mystery of the Nativity; the
bread – that the coming Christ is the bread of life: and the candles – that
through Christ’s coming the Trinity was revealed to us. The kracun is then broken,
passed around the table and shared together. Then garlic cloves and honey are
shared by all. This must happen so that the family will stay together for the
coming year. In some Rusyn villages, the legs of the table are bound by chains
to “Keep the family together.”
Christmas Eve for Rusyns is a strict fast day.
Therefore, all foods served must be free of meat and dairy products. Twelve
dishes are served and these too vary from village to village. However, some of
the more common include mushroom, pea or bean and sauerkraut soup, pirohy (dough stuffed with
potatoes, kraut or prunes) bolbalky (bread balls with kraut or honey and poppy
seeds), holubky(cabbage stuffed with rice or barley and mushrooms), fish, and prunes.
The décor is also meant to remind the
Carpatho-Rusyn peasant of the mysteries of God becoming man and dwelling with
us. The table is covered with a decorated white cloth, symbolizing that Christ
came without sin; hay is scattered on the table and floor, reminding Rusyns
that He came in humility, born in a stable; and an extra place is set at the
table for Christ, symbolizing the Eastern Christian belief that Christ comes
each year–ever present in the Eastern Christian home. Originally, however, this
place was set in pagan times for the ancestors to join the family.
After the meal, the family goes to church for
Christmas Eve Matins, leaving the food on the table and sometimes the
windowsill “for the ancestors.” Children awake the next morning and see the food
and drink gone, consumed by “their ancestors.”
Each Carpatho-Rusyn home is also visited by
the Jaslickari,
or Bethlehem carolers, a custom that can be traced to the blending of
pre-Christian caroling customs and the medieval passion plays. The Jaslickari are young men from
the village dressed as shepherds and angels, who witnessed the miraculous birth
of Christ. They come into each home to enact a play with song, about their
visit to the manger and their coming to grips with the mystery of Christ’s birth
and their own human failings. The Jaslickari are a genuine folk
expression and were a vital piece of the peasant’ s education in his or her
faith.
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| Guba |
Christmas Day is spent feasting while groups
of carolers go from home to home proclaming the Good News. And Carpatho-Rusyns
greet one another with the exchange:
Christ is Born! Hristos Razdajtsa!
Glorify Him! Slavite Jeho!
© John J. Righetti, 2001
Written by John Righetti. Email: president@c-rs.org.
1 comment:
Maryann, it seems like I left my comment about Xmas dinner in the article about the historian :) Please forgive me...
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