SVOBODA, UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SECTroN, TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1957 * , it ' і і і m m mmfmmmmmm EASTER BACK IN THE OLD CHRIST IS RISEN! SPRING SONGS OF UKRAINE COUNTRY The birth of Spring has been, raine has ever produced. Also w down through the ages—heark- by the late famed composer It is herd for us to know ages, ham, bacon, other meats, ening back to pre-Christian and arranger, 'Michael Hayvo- here how Easter is observed and horseradish. behind the Iron-Curtain. Thus pagan times—celebrated by the гопаку. In this manner, even In most ' districts in Uk­ people of Ukraine in various the pagan nature of the Spring far, we have heard nothing raine the Easter food was " >uf noW Willow Sunday fashions. songs was encroached upon. blessed on Easter Morn after With the melting of snows They remain pure to this very (Kvitna Nedilya, or Palm Sun­ Resurrection Matins. The food day as we call It here) was and the unflowering of Nature, day, with their original symbol­ was brought to the church with the baiming fresh air ism and Imagery-character­ celebrated last Sunday in in baskets, and set after serv­ Ukraine. There was a" New swishing through the steppes, istics of animistic philosophy. ice on the floor of the main the forests smiling in budding There is action accompany­ York Herald Tribune dispatch aisle and down on the church from Moscow, dated April 14, bloom, and the green grass ing these Ukrainian Spring grounds. After the priest peaking out in patches around songs. Thia action Is carried titled "Branch Sunday Fills blessed it, the "hospodar," i.e. Moscow's Fifty "Churches in the straw-thatched Ukrainian out by pagan elements, so master of the house, quickly village and hamlet homes of that, along with the people, which the correspondent wrote returned to his home, BO that that in cold, tfnowy weather, the Ukrainian husbandsman, it things in nature.'appear and he and his family could quick­ was only natural for the Uk­ figure in the story they tell, believers crowded Moscow's ly partake of the blessed food. fifty or more Russian Ortho­ rainian, traditionally musically such as about . fauna and The egg, a symbol of new inclined, to compose the love- flora, the jack-daw (a Eu­ dox chm-ches to observe Palm life, when properly decorated Sunday. • . able Ukrainian Spring Songs. ropean crow-like bird, in Uk­ in various colors and geome­ It is interesting to note, in rainian called halka), the fal­ The religious holiday is trical designs, becomes a spe­ this connection, that most of con (sokil) the eagle, the rab­ known in Russia and Ukraine cial object of art, the well- the Ukrainian Spring Songs, bit, the quail (perepylytsia) the as "Branch Sunday," he notes, known "py валка," and particularly the nostalgic- kid, the drake (kachur); and because of the unavailability of The "pysanky" are placed mourning Kozak songs, were pink-cherries, a pear tree, a palm fronds in' these countries among the Easter food to de­ the work of Ukrainian women. willow, cranberries, poppy, su- under the Kremlin regime. corate it before 1t is blessed The Ukrainian Spring Songs cumbers, a rose, basil, violets, Despite the' afjheistic stand and are also used as gifts given are known in Ukrainian by poison-herbs, grass, perewinkle, of the Soviet' government, to friends and to the priest various names, such as Ves- and the like. many persons cbuld be seen when he blesses the food. The nianky or Vesnivky in East There are also in the Uk­ that morning'carrying ordina­ task of making the "pysanky" Ukraine, and Hahilky, Yahilky, rainian Spring songs a num­ ry branches to churches to be is usually left io the ^young or Hali in Western Ukraine. ber of personifications of blessed. ' ' girls. Floral and plant life as' These songs have come down events, even abstract ideas, Vfe have every" good reason well some animal patterns to us from original Ukrainian such as Spring waters, Green to think that religious fervor follow the geometric pattern sources. Hardly any one of murmurings, Mist, Spring, was much more manifest last in proportion. The designs in them came from outside Uk­ Winter, and even the Spring Sunday in Kiev, and other certain areas became standard raine's borders. To be sure, Song itself In the guise of a Ukrainian cities, town, vil­ for specific villages, but, in some of them did, but they young girl.4*There are also lages and hamlets. general, then there in, Ukraine were modified to quite an ex­ many on the subject of 'love, "On the other hand we do andV now' here in ' їм USA tent by the Ukrainians. Suit­ and' prophesies of marriage- know, 'from knowledge gained originality has been prominent ing from a simple mklody, they about coupling of people. All in from, jour immigrant parents and . encouraged. In certairi ; took oft choral forms, the vari-1 all, the total effect is that one arid grandparents, and /from areas of Ukraine, as in Ix mkiv- bus Spring games, play-acting1, J of joy and light "bur .readings as well, how, shchyna. they.' are made oir and pantomine—all fragments! The period of the Ukrainian before the onrush of the Reds Good Friday. Elsewhere ,:the' of otd, already' forgotten1 <ехч Kingdom of Kiev In the Middle the/ (Ukrainians!' over, there ігее тіпиЦв during thje busy- cept by ethnographers) pagan I Ages contributed its addita- ; celebrated Easter, and other Lenten period are devoted to Spring rituals. ,li Imentto these songs, as' they making Easter, eggs. , , • , • '• 1 'hfilidayfc,, under/prelgn regimes Th' a sense 'they were slm-ldid ш the case of Ukrainian , '.y/frich/ though ,,ptfij?s8 in.„fipi-, During the last., three-day J 0ar )fl. .calling forth the re-> \ ChrHrtmag-; songs, arid New Щсаі mistreatment of the period ot Lent from t.he eve-' Iproducti've forces of Na'tUre a>! Yeirss' 'songs/ as' Weil 'as 'hjs- subjugated Ukrainians allow­ njng services of. Holy Thurs­ did the апсіегів Greek Elevslac toricsl events and happenings, ed them, nevertheless, some re- day to Easter Matins, th& bells mystery of the goddess of agri- Thua, by way of example, we . $gioue freedom. , are kept silent Not untii af­ culture, Demetera, or, in Pa­ find" mimicked in .the Ukrain­ , : Де-we ail know, all Chris- ter the Easter Resurrection gan Germany. Ostra. the Egyp­ ian Spring songs the occasion ...J^ian.. people observe Easter, Matins are they again rung tian mysteries of Ozris, Asia of the King's siege of a town . ,where they, are able to, in some when the clergy and faithful; Minor's Adonis and Kibella, (The. King's game.) and the t distinct manner.,in which the joyously sing the inspiring and the Roman cults of, Attica tableau of the crowning of solemnity of the occasion and Easter theme, "Khristos .Yos- and. the Great Mother. Prince Danilo of Gallcia (1211 , the happiness and hope, which kres iz mertvykh" (Christ Is Although the ' Ukrainian A.D.,) in which is mentioned the holiday engenders are, Risen From the Deed). Church adapted its Paschal' the name of his father, the brought out This is true of We find' in the native Uk­ Holiday to the Spring celebra­ Volhynian Prince Roman (Vo- the Ukrainians "who have a raine customs of other than tions, Ьесаиве of the incom- rotsr game), or the later number of general customs, religious nature. They are ob­ patabillty of the two ideas, siege by Khmelnitsky of Zba- with some slight modifications served on the second and Christianization of paganism razh, in which Prince Jeremy between one area and another. third days of the Easter Holi­ TION, besides the President did not succeed to the extent Vyehnevetsky had locked It is worth noting that an day. The girls take part in UYL-NA Foundation, Inc. to Benefit Joseph Gurski of Detroit, in­ Student Gives that it did in the case of the himself up (1649). important feature of Easter "hayivky" on the church clude: Walter Bacad, New Talks on Ukraine Christmas holiday. To all this, one might fur­ among the Ukrainian people la lawn,—a form of spring dances From "Spring Festival of Song York, vice president; Joseph In times, before the Red oc­ ther add that the Ukrainian the blessing of. the Easter reserved especially for the And Dance" Smindak, Brooklyn, Secretary- cupation of Ukraine, when re­ Spring songs are sung only by victuals before Jhey are eaten. Easter period. Visiting friends Treasurer; Trustees: Andrew Ukrainian-born, Bohdan Ra- ligious freedom, but not na­ girls, and in unison at that .This food consists of specially and exchanging pysanky, are Boyko, Cleveland; Emil D6- bij, 26, a junior at the .Utica tional and political, was per­ with short heterophonic de­ prepared bread called "paska," also customs that young and The January 1957 iesue of 79th Street, New York, has an chych, Elizabeth; Walter Hub- College, Utica, N. Y., and a mitted, the Ukrainian Spring partures in the direction of and other foods not eaten dur­ alike enjoyed when religious the 'Trend,"' that fine mag­ impressive list* of League chik, Detroit; Alexander Pron- College, Utica, N. Y., and a mem­ Songs were often heard not polyphony, which character­ ing Great Lent!'They consist azine published by the Ukrain­ achievements to continue': Past freedom was prevalent in Uk­ chick, Newark; Committees: ber of the Utica.CoUege's Speak­ only }n the vicinity of a church istic proves their great age of cheese, butter, eggs, saus- raine. ian Youths League of North projects completed include the Cultural, Stella Zaeharehuck.
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