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In the States the first snow would
indicate the coming holidays. We had our first snow here in October and
the trees weren't even off the trees, but winter didn't come and Indian
summer lingered a long time.
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As soon as the leaves started to fall
and we had our first hard frost in November, the ladies who care for the
park were out raking up leaves and removing all the dead flower stalks
from the plaza flower beds.
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The park lay bare and cleaned for many
weeks--unusual for this time of year.
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Then the snow started for real on
January 1st and all day and all night the snow just floated--I think
crystallized from the moist air for a week.
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The Ukrainian holiday season begins
the weekend after the 25th. Some Ukrainians--Roman Catholics, or as they
call it here Polish Catholics--celebrate the 25th. No one gives gifts on
Ukrainian or Polish Christmas.
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Because it was the US Christmas Eve,
my Ukrainian family rang my bell and led by Masha with a silver candle
in her hand brought me gifts and a song of "We wish You a Merry
Christmas. Masha never goes anywhere without her doggie slippers. Mom
made the outfit.
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New Years Day is the big day in
Ukraine. Trees are put up and decorated. Gifts are exchanged.
Fireworks are shot off every night. Everyone comes to the plaza during
the week to talk, to show the children the tree. Teenagers hang out.
Nearly everyone brings their sledges with toddlers on them to visit and
slide here at the center of the life of the town.
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This picture doesn't do the tree
justice. The lights burn all night and I can see them from my desk or my
bed. The tree will stay up through the first Monday after Ukrainian
Christmas, January 7th. The children will go back to school and us
adults back to work.
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Both on New Years Day and on January
7th, Asha--in the kitchen--Natasha, Masha and Yura prepared a wonderful
Ukrainian dinner and invited me and Wini. Salads, chicken, pickled
tomatoes, potatoes, bread, wine and a wonderful family with lots of
songs and laughter. All this was soothing to my spirit and made my first
Christmas in Ukraine warm and memorable.
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