Happy Ukrainian Christmas!Enjoy the last days of celebratory holiday spirit with Ukrainian Christmas, which falls on January 7 via the Julian calendar. On Christmas Eve, the big celebratory event, Ukrainians share a traditional meal of 12-meatless dishes, representing the 12 apostles. The meal includes: Kutia, which is cooked whole wheat with honey and poppy seeds; Kolach, braided bread surrounding a candle; meatless Borscht; fish; pickled herring; meatless cabbage rolls; perogies; sauerkraut and peas; mashed beans with garlic; Pidpenky, which are mushrooms with gravy. And for dessert there is Uzvar, dried fruit Compote; and Pampushky or Makiwnyk, which is a sweet raised dough with poppy seed, honey and cinnamon filling.
Here is one great meatless Borscht recipe -- if you cook it up and add some mushroom-filled dumplings (frozen/prepared mushroom tortellini work great) you can share in a Ukrainian tradition this week.
C Razhdyestvom! :) (I'm guessing Merry Christmas in Ukrainian is the same as Russian.)
ReplyDeleteI love that the dishes are traditionally vegetarian; such a nice change from most traditional European cooking.
Such an interesting post; I didn't know any of these things! Thanks for sharing your celebration with us.
ReplyDeleteEva - not the same, but similar. And yes, the fact that all the traditional meals are meatless (excepting fish, but I just leave those out) is one more reason I love "sviata vecherya" (holy supper)
ReplyDeleteBellezza - I am glad you enjoyed!
Happy Ukrainian Christmas! It's great to learn a little about it, as I knew nothing!
ReplyDeleteAww: well, I'm glad I was close at least. lol
ReplyDeleteDorothy - glad to be informative :)
ReplyDeleteEva - lol, thanks for your good wishes!
Khrystos Razhdajetsia! thank you for posting the card! Please advise what are the terms and conditions to use this card from your blog in our not-for profit Winter newsletter? Thank you, Serge
ReplyDeleteSerge - if you read this, feel free to use this for your nonprofit newsletter, Khrystos Razhdajetsia!
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