Christmas 2012
The seventh of January: twelve dishes, no meat, and the first star. A Christmas greeting from a guest who has learned the order of the evening.
A blessed Christmas to everyone marking it today.
The Ukrainian Christmas Eve has a structure, and it took me several years to learn it. Twelve dishes, one for each apostle. No meat, no dairy — the fast holds until the morning. Kutia first, the wheat and poppy and honey, and a spoonful set aside. The didukh, a sheaf of wheat, in the corner of the room. And the meal does not begin until the first star appears, which in a Kyiv January means somebody keeps going to the window.
I have sat at that table many times as a guest, and the thing I appreciate most is that nobody ever made me feel like one.
A peaceful evening to your household.
Share this analysis
Comments