Can you eat meat on Ukrainian Christmas Eve?
There are now as many types of borscht as there are babushkas (grandmothers). For Christmas Eve, the borscht must follow Orthodox Lenten rules and avoid use of meat, dairy, and eggs.
Kutia is the most important dish at the Christmas dinner. It is usually prepared from boiled wheat and generously seasoned with honey, poppy seeds, nuts and dried fruits. Eating this dish on Christmas Eve programmed the following year for a good harvest, livestock and procreation.
Christmas in Ukraine can be celebrated on the 25th of December or 7th of January. This is because different Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches within Ukraine use the old 'Julian' or the 'new' Gregorian calendars for their church festivals.
- Kutia. The fancy yogurt dishes were used to eat kutia (pronounced: koo-CHA), the traditional starting dish. ...
- Borscht. Borscht is a vividly red beet soup that I was careful not to drip onto the pristine white tablecloth that was only used once a year. ...
- Perogies. ...
- Holubtsi.
The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat on the eve of a feast day. As no meat or animal fat could be used on such days, observant Catholics would instead eat fish (typically fried in oil).
Ukrainian Christmas traditions
The Christmas celebration begins on Christmas Eve. Family members cook Christmas dinner consisting of 12 fasting dishes that symbolize 12 apostles. The main dish at the festive table is kutia – a mix of boiled grains, honey, nuts, poppy seeds, dried fruits, and other toppings.
Kruchenyky (also known as zavyvantsi) is a traditional Ukrainian dish consisting of stuffed meat rolls. Pork is the most common type of meat used for kruchenyky, but beef, chicken, or even fish can be used instead of it.
Due to the Nativity Fast, no meat, eggs or milk (including cheese) are allowed during the supper. Thus fish, mushrooms and various types of grain are the main offerings.
Orthodox church of Ukraine allows worshippers to celebrate Christmas on 25 December. For centuries Ukrainians have celebrated Christmas on 7 January, the date on which Jesus was born, according to the Julian calendar.
Starting on Christmas Day, it is traditional to say “Khrystos Rozhdayet'sya” (“Christ is born”) and to respond “Slavite Yoho” (“Glorify Him”).
What do Ukrainians call Santa?
Ukraine's Santa Claus is called Did Moroz (Father Frost) or Svyatyy Mykolay (Saint Nicholas).
Spider Webs Can Bring Good Fortune for the New Year
This is why you will see Ukrainians decorate their Christmas tree with a spider web. It's believed that the webs will bring good fortune and luck for the upcoming year.
Even though borscht and salo are the most popular dishes in Ukraine and indeed well beyond its borders, the traditional Easter bread paska well earns first place.
Traditional Ukrainian borscht is typically made from meat or bone stock, sautéed vegetables, and beet sour (i.e., fermented beetroot juice).
Surveys estimate a large majority of Ukraine's population is Orthodox, with a significant minority of Ukrainian Catholics who worship with a Byzantine liturgy similar to that of the Orthodox but are loyal to the pope. The population includes smaller percentages of Protestants, Jews and Muslims.
The Soviet Union, and certain other Communist regimes, banned Christmas observances in accordance with the Marxist–Leninist doctrine of state atheism.
The meal is traditionally meat free, this is to remember the animals who took take of the baby Jesus in the manger. Everyone has to eat or at least try some of each dish.
Instead of the regular Добрий день or Привіт Ukrainians say Христос народився! – Christ is born! There is also an older version Христос ся рождає! with the same message. The appropriate response would be Славімо його!
The rituals of the Christmas Eve are dedicated to God, to the welfare of the family, and to the remembrance of the ancestors. A prayer is said and the father says the traditional Christmas greeting, "Khrystos rodyvsya!" (Christ is born!) which is answered by the family with "Slavite Yoho!" (Let Us Glorify Him!).
Christmas Eve (Holy Eve) is marked by traditional family gatherings in the evening in Ukraine – the so-called Sviata Vecheria ('Holy Dinner'). The festivities start with the appearance of the first star, though all preparations traditionally start from the very dawn.
Is pork eaten in Ukraine?
Ukraine has historically been perceived as a country of pork lovers, with especially high demand for cured pork fat. However, these days, the per capita pork consumption in Ukraine is not only lower than in Russia but also lower than in Belarus, the Baltic states, and even some countries in the Caucasus.
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Horilka.
| Nemiroff Honey Pepper horilka | |
|---|---|
| Type | Alcoholic beverage |
| Place of origin | Ukraine |
| Region or state | Eastern Europe |
| Main ingredients | Water, alcohol |
The national dish of Ukraine is borscht, the well-known beet soup, of which many varieties exist. However, varenyky (boiled dumplings similar to pierogi) and a type of cabbage roll known as holubtsi are also national favourites and are a common meal in traditional Ukrainian restaurants.
While traditions and dishes vary greatly by region, there are a lot of similarities as well. Starting on Christmas Eve, Italians like to hold back, saving themselves for the main event on Christmas day. So they don't eat meat.
In 1966, Church law changed from prohibiting flesh meat on all Fridays throughout the year to abstaining on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Many Catholics observe this abstinence on all Fridays throughout Lent, choosing fish over flesh meat (beef, pork, poultry, etc.).
Since most of the Germans are Catholic s and attend the mid-night mass, they prefer avoiding eating meat for dinner on the 24th. And therefore, fish dishes make it to the center of the table.
During the “Armenian Christmas” season, the major events that are celebrated are the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem and His Baptism in the River Jordan. The day of this major feast in the Armenian Church is January 6th.
Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar, so their Christmas Day is January 7. The world's 300 million Orthodox Christians are wishing each other a happy Christmas today, almost two weeks after the rest of the world celebrated on December 25. This is because they use the Julian, not the Gregorian calendar.
Most of Ukrainians mark Christmas on 7 January, because all Christian Orthodox Churches popular in Ukrainian and even the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church are using the archaic Julian calendar, which is 14 days late and its 25 December falls on 7 January by the world's most common Gregorian calendar.
Jesus' name in Hebrew was “Yeshua” which translates to English as Joshua.
What is the name Mary in Ukrainian?
Марина (Maryna [mɐˈrɪnɐ]), from Marina, of Latin origin. Марія (Mariia [mɐˈr⁽ʲ⁾ijɐ] ( listen)), from Maria, equivalent to Marie, Mary and Miriam, of Hebrew origin.
The typical greeting is a warm, firm handshake, maintaining direct eye contact, and repeating your name. When female friends meet, they kiss on the cheek three times, starting with the left and then alternating, while close male friends may pat each other on the back and hug.
It's a piece of cloth used in powwows by jingle dancers "as a method of prayer while they're dancing." It can also be used as a fashion or statement piece. "Women wear it on their heads or around their necks," she said. "The kokum scarf represents strength, empowerment and resilience among our people."
The modern response "Heroiam slava!" (Glory to the heroes!) appeared in the 1930s among members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) who started using this slogan to commemorate veterans of 1918 to 1921 Ukrainian-Soviet War and the wider Ukrainian War of Independence.
Christmas gifts in Ukraine
There are no gifts in Ukraine on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Gifts are given on St. Nicholas' Day, as they were in other countries like Germany at one time. However, this is not celebrated on December 6, but according to the Orthodox calendar on December 19.
“It really helps preserve the tree,” the post says. “Cut flowers (yes, and trees) like the sugar and citric acid, and some folks feel that the natural lemon lime flavoring may act as a preservative as well,” the post reads.
During the early Soviet period, religious celebrations were discouraged by the official state policy of atheism. Christmas trees were denounced as a bourgeois German import while the holiday itself was debunked as a pagan sun-worshipping ritual with no basis in scientific fact.
"Spiders have always been considered 'good luck insects' in Ukrainian tradition," Wolynetz explained.
Ukrainian people eat a lot of cereals for breakfast. For example, in cities, a common breakfast will include boiled buckwheat, rice, or oats. In Western Ukraine, corn porridge is also quite popular and is commonly eaten with white cheese. Bread with salo (pork fat) is a common addition for any meal.
Ukraine has the largest number of children living in institutions in Europe. They are casualties of a Soviet-era system that made the process easy for parents to give their child up to the state. There was, and still is, a belief by many in Ukrainian society that disabled children receive better care in an institution.
What is a popular Ukrainian snack?
Favorite? Perepichka is an iconic Ukrainian street food item consisting of a soft, not overly seasoned sausage that is enclosed within yeasted dough. The whole combination is deep-fried, and it is usually served piping hot without any condiments.
Meats, such as kovbasa (sausage), poultry, and pork are important to the Ukrainian diet. Pork is considered the national meat and pork fat is often used in cooking.
- Varenukha (honey drink)
- Quass (bread drink)
- Uzvar (compote)
- Herbal infusions.
- Nalyvka (kind of liquor)
- Wine.
Its Ukrainian-ish Origins
A commonly accepted theory is that the word borscht comes from the Slavic “borschevik,” which means “hogweed.” In early Slavic cuisine, hogweed stems, leaves and flowers were often cooked into a soup or fermented, yielding something akin to sauerkraut.
- 8 Brussel Sprouts.
- 7 Okra.
- 6 Turnips.
- 5 Raisins.
- 4 Blue Cheese.
- 3 Anchovies.
- 2 Olives.
- 1 Candy Corn.
Kutia is the most important dish at the Christmas dinner. It is usually prepared from boiled wheat and generously seasoned with honey, poppy seeds, nuts and dried fruits. Eating this dish on Christmas Eve programmed the following year for a good harvest, livestock and procreation.
'cutlet Kyiv-style') sometimes known as Chicken Kyiv, is a dish made of chicken fillet pounded and rolled around cold butter, then coated with egg and bread crumbs, and either fried or baked. Stuffed chicken breast is generally known in Ukrainian and Russian cuisines as côtelette de volaille.
While most believe it to be a religious obligation, giving up meat on Christmas Eve is actually more a popular custom. The Catholic Church specifies the days on which meat is to be avoided (seafood doesn't count as meat), but it doesn't include the day before Christmas (unless it falls on a Friday).
Christmas Eve is not a solemnity, so the current rules regarding Friday abstinence apply. If your national bishops' conference has said that Catholics in your country should abstain from meat on Fridays, then Christmas Eve is no exception.
According to Russian Orthodox tradition, Christmas is preceded by a 40-day fast excluding meat and dairy products. The fast is broken on Christmas Eve with a dish of sweetened cooked grain followed by a full-blown feast the next day.
Why does Italy not eat meat on Christmas Eve?
Catholic tradition prohibits the consumption of meat on the evenings before religious holidays. Most Italians, therefore, eat a fishy feast on Christmas Eve, one so abundant that the lack of animal flesh is hardly noticed.
According to tradition, the meal for Christmas Eve, La Vigilia, doesn't have any meat. It's all fish and vegetables. That's in keeping with most meals served on the eve before a religious festival in Italy: You're supposed to have a giorno di magro, eating lean to help purify your body for the holiday.
Abstinence from meat is practiced on all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday and the Vigils of Christmas Day and Immaculate Conception Day, as well as on Ember Days and the Vigil of Pentecost Sunday.
It is one of the main dishes, cooked of wheat, barley or rice and seasoned with grated poppy seeds, nuts, honey and nectar. It has a sacred meaning for the locals. After Christmas Eve, the dish was left overnight on the table so that the souls of the dead ancestors could also taste the treat.
Catholics were expected to abstain from eating meat or products derived from animals such as butter or dairy on Fridays and holy days. Christmas Eve being one of the designated days on which to abstain, most good Catholics would eat fish, typically cooked in oil.
Basic definitions
Because fish are cold-blooded, they would not be regarded as meat under this definition. Others use the term “meat” to refer exclusively to the flesh of fur-covered mammals, which excludes animals like chicken and fish.
In some Orthodox cultures, crossing one's legs is taboo and considered to be very disrespectful. In our North American there are no real taboos concerning crossing one's legs, and we tend to do so to get comfortable when sitting.
Regarding the consumption of meat, the principal reason for its exclusion from the OF diet is related to the spiritual achievements of fasting (as gaining mastery over oneself and conquering the passions of the flesh) (1) and, more specifically, with the curbing of erotic desires of the flesh.
