‘Malanka’ and the ‘old’ new year

After several years of omission due to a lack of organizers, the traditional “Malanchyn Vechir” (Melanie’s evening), or simply “Malanka,” commemorating the feast day of St. Melanie (383-439 A.D.), will take place tonight at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church Parish Center. It will start at 9 p.m., and end at 1 a.m.
Thursday. There will be food, refreshments, singing and dancing, plus some surprises. 

This is just a variation from the customary observances of Malanka in Ukraine. 

These observances in Ukraine are more than a dinner/dance and a few hours of socialization. In Ukraine, groups of carolers wander, singing carols from house to house all night, and when invited into the house they wish the residents health and prosperity, recite special verses and sing more carols. 

When visiting relatives’ or close neighbors’ homes after midnight or early in the morning on Jan. 14, it is customary to throw some wheat grains on the floor and recite a special short verse wishing the homeowners a healthy and prosperous year — a custom almost completely abandoned outside of Ukraine. Jan.14 is known as the “old” new year, because it is Jan. 1 according to the “old” Julian calendar.
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The Christmas/New Year/Epiphany social of the North Port branch of “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian Ladies), held Friday at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center was a resounding success. Over 110 members and their guests enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres, a tasty buffet dinner and popular home-baked pastry with coffee. 

Many expressions of thanks and admiration to the culinary staff, consisting mostly of the executive board members, and especially for Christyna Sheldon, were spoken. 

New members who joined the branch during 2015 were introduced, and a choir of female carolers led by Lieda Boyko, who carried the Christmas star, marched into the hall singing Ukrainian carols. Not to be outdone, a male choir was quickly organized by Orest Bilous to sing a special version of carols glorifying the culinary staff and all the organizers of the event. 

President Ann-Marie Susla made two announcements: The annual membership meeting of the branch will take place at 10 a.m. Jan. 26 at the Parish Center, and the “christening” of the new Soyuz Ukrayinok branch in Naples will take place Jan. 31 in Naples, to which all are invited.
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On Tuesday, the two local Ukrainian American congregations, Catholic and Orthodox, will celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptizer. The celebrations include special divine liturgies in both churches, St. Andrew’s and St. Mary’s, to be followed by the blessing of water outside the churches, weather permitting.
The blessed “Jordan water” is believed to have miraculous healing powers. 

Parishioners and guests take this water home and, after sprinkling some on their homes or apartments, preserve it until the following year. 

In my youth in Ukraine it was a well-known fact that some Jews had asked their Ukrainian neighbors to share the water with them.
Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed atatanask@aol.com.
 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn

Jesus’ birthday celebrated with special meal, services, caroling

Most Ukrainian Christians, Greek-Catholics and Orthodox in Ukraine, and many in the United States and Canada, will observe a strict fast today and in the evening will gather at family tables to partake in a special meal known as “Svyata Vecherya” (holy supper), traditionally consisting of 12 meatless courses, including the traditional “kutya” (pudding-like concoction of wheat grains, honey and poppy seeds), varenyky (pierogies) and “holubtsi” (cabbage rolls without hamburger meat).

My loving wife Katrusia had faithfully prepared and served these traditional meals for our family and usually two or three invited single individuals without family as guests for 60 years, until she became too ill three years ago. This year Katrusia and I will join other senior couples and individuals in the communal Holy Supper at our Parish Center after a 4 p.m. special service, “Velyke Povecherya” (Great Vespers) at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church.

This church service and subsequent meal will usher in the celebration of the birthday of Jesus, which will continue Thursday (Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ), Friday (Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God), and Saturday (First Martyr Archdeacon Stephen), observed by most Ukrainians and some other Eastern Christians whose church calendar is known as Julian. The three days following theHoly Supper are devoted to church services with special segments of the divine liturgy (Mass) and caroling, and visiting relatives and friends. In most cities and towns in Ukraine these days are filled with groups of carolers re-enacting the event in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago and singing carols in public squares and in front of people’s homes
                                               •••
There will be no membership meeting of Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, usually held every first Friday of the month, because of the holidays.
The next meeting will take place at 3 p.m., Feb. 5 at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as the “Oseredok.”
                                              •••
The local branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian Ladies) will have its traditional New Year/ Christmas/Epiphany holidays “Zustrich” (meeting) at 4 p.m., Friday in St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center. These holiday meetings consist of socializing, light refreshments and pastries, with a lot of storytelling and caroling. Each member is allowed to invite only one guest, a relative or a close friend.

Katrusia, a longtime member and former member of the “Uprava” (executive board), hopes to feel good enough to attend the event. She graciously invited me to accompany her. Having attended these meetings in the past, I am looking forward to attending this year, knowing that a good time will be had by all.
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One week from today on Jan. 13, an annual dinner-dance known as “Malanchyn Vechir” (Melanie’s Evening) will take place at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center. It will start at 9 p.m. and end at 1 a.m. Jan. 14.
Tickets, at $15 per person, must be ordered in advance. For more information, call 941-426-7931.

“Malanka” is the Ukrainian version of Melanie, and Jan. 13 is St. Melanie’s Holiday, according to the church calendar.
Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com.



Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn

Goodbye, 2015 — Welcome, 2016

Yes, the old year 2015 will come to an end tomorrow, and most Americans, as well as many other people throughout the world, will fill restaurants, clubs, and other meeting places to enjoy food and drinks while waiting for midnight to greet the arrival of 2016 with a champagne toast. Many, including my wife Katrusia and I, will stay at home and wait for the silvery ball to drop in New York’s Times Square on television, provided they, like I usually do, don’t fall asleep before this occurs. 
It is a pleasure for me and Katrusia to be able to wish all our children, grandchildren, great-granddaughters, other relatives in this country and in Ukraine, and all our neighbors and friends throughout the world a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year.
                                                 •••
During my childhood years before World War II, the New Year was only a date on the calendar: no celebration or formal observation whatsoever. The reason for this was quite simple: Residents of our nice and picturesque village Volya Yakubova (Jacob’s Freedom), in the Sub Carpathian Region of Western Ukraine were all Ukrainians, except for three Jewish families, and Greek-Catholics. New Year’s Day fell during Advent, which lasted up to Jan. 6 and was traditionally observed as a fasting period with no dancing or any other “boisterous” celebration.
The Advent fasting continues to be observed by Ukrainians and Ukrainian Americans to this day. There are neither weddings nor dances in what is commonly considered “The Ukrainian Community” in the United States and Canada. 
During the Russian Communist occupation of Ukraine, the atheist Moscow occupiers did everything possible to eradicate the celebrations of religious holidays, especially Christmas and EasterThe massive executions and deportations of bishops, priests, and religious activists did not stop Ukrainian people from celebrating their beloved holidays. The authorities, in addition to forbidding the workers to take a day off for holidays, and penalizing students for participating in traditional holiday events, and other measures, began vigorously promoting the celebration of New Year, which included, among other things, the “New Year’s Tree” (replacing the Christmas tree) and “Grandfather Frost” (replacing the very popular St. Nicholas). 
After many years of this pressure and atheist propaganda, the celebration of New Year in Ukraine became more important and more widely accepted than the celebration of Christmas.
After the collapse of the USSR and restoration of Ukraine’s independence — on Aug. 24, 1991 — the traditional observance of Christmas and other religious holidays came back to life, with Christmas Eve supper consisting of 12 meal courses, public caroling, “vertep” (special Christmas plays originated centuries earlier by students of Ukrainian institutions of higher learning), and beautiful church services.
Nevertheless, the celebration of New Year continues to be very popular, with the “New Year’s Tree,” family gatherings, good food and champagne toasts at midnight.The weddings and dance parties commence on Jan. 14 on “St.Melanie Day,” known to Ukrainians as “Malanka.”
The local Ukrainian Catholic congregation will hold its “Malanka Dance” on Jan. 14, in the Parish Center, 1978 N. Biscayne Drive, North Port.
More details to follow.

Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com. 

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

 by Atanas Kobryn

 

Have the merriest Christmas ever

The overwhelming majority of our friends and neighbors here in Southwest Florida and throughout the country will begin to celebrate tomorrow night one of the most beautiful holidays of the year — Christmas. It is true that, unfortunately, the original meaning of Christmas is lost in the commercialization of the preholiday and holiday season, to the point that many children (and probably many adults) don’t even know that the holiday was meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Santa Claus is the poor substitute for the Christian bishop Nicholas in what is now Turkey, who is being worshiped by many as St. Nicholas. 

My wife Katrusia and I wish all who celebrate Christmas (or another holiday) the merriest ever. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be for all our children, grandchildren, great-granddaughters and other relatives, as well as for all our men and women in uniform, members of the Armed Forces of the United States and of Ukraine, who are defending our freedoms and democracy from ruthless totalitarian aggressors.
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Many Ukrainians in our area and the overwhelming majority of Ukrainian Christians in Ukraine will celebrate Christmas according to the Julian (also referred to as the “old”) calendar, and the celebrations will be less commercial and more spiritual and traditional. The observance begins on the Christmas Eve, Jan. 6, with a traditional “Svyata Vecherya” (holy supper) consisting of 12 meatless courses — some, like “kutya” (pudding-like meal of wheat grains, poppyseeds and honey, often with nuts, raisins, etc.), “uzvar” (a dried fruit compote) and “knish” (traditional bread) prepared only for Christmas Eve. Various traditions, some originating in the pre-Christian era, accompany the preparation and serving of the meal, different in different parts of the large country. (Ukraine is the largest country in Europe outside of the European part of the Russian Federation.) Jan. 7, Christmas Day, is filled with church services, visiting relatives and carolers visiting households singing and wishing the inhabitants happy holidays, health and prosperity. There are two more days of the holiday, which, unfortunately, are not observed by Ukrainians outside of Ukraine, for obvious reasons. 

In many Ukrainian households, including my own parental home, the Christmas tree was not in vogue. In its place was a “didukh,” a sheaf or a bundle of wheat set up in the corner next to the holy icons, symbolizing prosperity in the coming year. 

In view of the fact that there are many theories advanced by many scientists, some supported by computer programs, as to the actual day and year of the birth of Jesus, the arguments as to whose observance is true are useless.
                                                  •••
The Bazaar Committee of the very successful pre-Christmas Bazaar at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish was headed by Oksana Lew of Venice, who ably coordinated the work of a large number of committee members who tirelessly worked for several days in preparation for the bazaar and then worked many long hours during the event.
Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com.

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn

Annual bazaar draws a crowd

The pre-Christmas Bazaar held last Friday at St.Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, 1078 N. Biscayne Drive in North Port was a happy place to meet many members of the Southwest Florida Ukrainian American community, as well as many guests without a single drop of Ukrainian blood. 

The members of the bazaar committee chaired by Iwanna (Jean) Holowaty of Venice worked very hard, some without a break for 10 hours, to prepare and serve food, to serve at various stations selling pastries, gifts and other useful items, and, of course, do the hard work of cleaning up. 

Some of the visitors came from faraway places to meet friends and to enjoy the delicacies such as potato pancakes (the most popular item, according to kitchen staff), “varenyky” (pierogies) with potato and cheese or with sauerkraut, “holubtsi” (cabbage rolls with rice and hamburger meat), sausage with sauerkraut, “borsch” (beet soup), and an array of pastries too numerous to list. 

The Most Rev. Bohdan J. Danylo, ordinary of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy (Diocese) of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio, interrupted his scheduled meeting with area priests twice to visit the bazaar to meet the volunteers and visitors and to partake in the array of food. 

I was pleased to see John Dicky, an old friend from Buffalo, who was visiting his niece in Punta Gorda and decided to stop at the bazaar. 

The pastor of St. Mary’s, the Rev. Vasyl Petriv, and his wife Luba were not only spiritual but actual supporters, working alongside volunteers in and outside the kitchen during the preparation for the bazaar and on Friday during the event.
•••
Parishioners and visitors of St. Mary’s had a unique experience last Sunday, to be present and to enjoy the beautiful Byzantine-style Ukrainian Catholic Pontifical Divine Liturgy (Mass) celebrated by Bishop Bohdan with several visiting priests, including the Rev. Vasyl Petriv, pastor, and the Rt. Rev. Mitred Archpriest Wolodymyr Woloszczuk, pastor-emeritus. The parish choir under the direction of Lubow Ingram sang the responses beautifully.
•••
St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as the “Oseredok” (center) in Ukrainian, celebrated its 40th anniversary with a festive dinner and a special program Sunday. The celebration also included the observance of the Feast Day of St. Andrew, the “first called apostle” who, according to unwritten tradition, visited the area where Kyiv, capital of Ukraine, now is, and proclaimed that “here on these hills will be an important city with many churches.” St. Andrew is revered by Ukrainian Greek-Catholics and Orthodox in Ukraine and all over the world. 

North Port’s first ecumenical Ukrainian church, now used exclusively by the Ukrainian Orthodox congregation, was dedicated to St. Andrew. 

Last Sunday’s celebration included greetings of visitors, living past presidents, other distinguished members of the community, and remarks by current president Victor Lisnyczyj and cultural affairs vice president, professor Vira Bodnaruk. The United Choir directed by Lubow Ingram sang the prayer-hymn “O, One and Only God!” and two traditional patriotic songs to the delight of the audience.
A delicious sit-down dinner prepared and served by members of the Oseredok’s board members and volunteers was enjoyed by all. 

A nice commemorative book was published with many historic photographs and articles in English and Ukrainian describing the history of the Southwest Florida Ukrainian American community, and including greetings from state Senator Nancy Detert and North Port City Manager Jonathan Lewis.

Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun.
He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com.

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn

Planning for Christmas bazaar, bishop’s visit

The annual pre-Christmas Bazaar at St.Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish Center, 1078 N. Biscayne Drive (corner of Biscayne Drive and West Price Boulevard) in North Port will be held Friday starting at 9 a.m., with coffee and pastries available for visitors. Traditional Ukrainian American dinners, including homebaked pastries, to eat on-site or for takeout, will be served from noon until 6 p.m.
There will be many gift, household and other items for sale in addition to raffle tickets and the aforementioned food. All are welcome.
•••
The Most Rev. Bohdan J. Danylo, Ordinary of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy (Diocese) in Parma, Ohio, will visit the Southwest Florida Ukrainian Catholic congregation Saturday and Sunday.
The bishop will meet with parishioners and celebrate the solemn pontifical Divine Liturgy (Mass) with the Rev. Vasyl Petriv, pastor, at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at St. Mary’s Church.
•••
On Saturday at 9 a.m., Rev. Petriv will celebrate a Requiem Divine Liturgy at St. Mary’s for the repose of souls of Col. Andriy Melnyk, on the 125th anniversary of his birth, and his wife Sofia (nee Fedak). Melnyk was a hero of the Ukrainian War of Liberation, one of the military leaders during and immediately following World War I, a leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) after the murder by KGB agent of his comrade-in-arms and brother-in-law Col. Yevhen Konovaletz, and a prisoner of Polish prison and Sachsenhousen Nazi German concentration camp.
•••
St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as the “Oseredok,” will celebrate its 40th anniversary and St. Andrew the Apostle’s Feast Day with a festive dinner and special program at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets, at $25 per person, must be purchased in advance at the center, 4100 S. Biscayne Drive.
A jubilee commemorative book will be published that will include the history of the Ukrainian American Southwest Florida community and the Oseredok in both English and Ukrainian languages.
•••
Last Friday’s monthly membership meeting of Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans was chaired by UAV National Commander Ihor W. Hron of Osprey, who relayed some interesting information of the dedication of National Holodomor Memorial in Washington, D.C., last month. Hron, in addition to representing UAV at the festivities, also commanded the UAV Color Guard.
After approving reports of Post Adjutant John Czerkas and Finance Officer Oleh Sawkiw, and discussing several proposed initiatives, Hron formally inducted two new members, Zenon Derzhko of Englewood and George Sawczak of Sarasota.
The next membership meeting will be at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, at the Oseredok.
•••
The traditional Christmas party of the Southwest Florida Ukrainian American Club, held Saturday at the Oseredok was a resounding success.
The party committee was chaired by Anna (Nusia) Mariani of Port Charlotte, who led a dedicated and hardworking team of volunteers. In addition to a tasty buffet dinner, followed by a dessert of delicious pastries, the highlight of the evening was the North Port High School girls’ choir, directed by Chris Brown, which sang several beautiful songs and carols including the world-renowned Ukrainian “Shchedryk,” known as “Carol of the Bells,” and “Silent Night” in German and English.
The choir received several standing ovations.
Also contributing to the success of the party were the Slavic Pentecostal Church singers “Blahovist,” led by guitarist Volodymyr (Vova) Zayats, and the club’s male singing group.
Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com.

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn

Holodomor remembered

The Ukrainian American and Ukrainian Canadian communities, including residents of North Port and Southwest Florida, are united with Ukrainians in Ukraine and throughout the world in commemorating this month a tragic event of Ukraine’s history, the 1932-1933 Holodomor (death by hunger), costing some 10 million Ukrainian lives, and the beginning of the Revolution of Dignity in November 2013. The Revolution resulted in the February 2014 ouster of then pro-Russia and anti-Western president Yanukovych, unifying the Ukrainian nation for the first time. 

The commemorations included the unveiling and blessing of the National Holodomor Memorial in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, attended by both American and Ukrainian dignitaries, and representatives from every state, including a large contingent of North Port and Southwest Florida residents. Locally, this month’s membership meeting of UNWLA Branch 56, headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, included a special Holodomor program, and the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, who together with her husband Eugene attended the Washington festivities, had a special program at its last meeting — a video and picture montage presentation of the Holodomor Monument Dedication in Washington by professor Victor Lisnyczyj of North Port. 

Prior to showing the video, Daria read a letter written by Tanya Petroff, daughter of Halya and Victor Lisnyczyj of North Port, which included the following: “… several thousands of Ukrainians dressed beautifully in Ukrainian embroidery and costumes gathered outside in the light rain, proudly waving Ukrainian flags while listening to speeches from several government officials, Holodomor survivors, Ukraine’s first lady, Maryna Poroshenko, and a video message from Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko. An emotional memorial service and an official blessing of the monument led by the patriarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches of the USA and of Ukraine, followed the dedication ceremony.”
Tanya also wrote: “I feel so blessed to have been part of such a historic event in Ukrainian history. My grandparents were Holodomor survivors and I vividly remember their horrific stories of witnessing people dying in front of them.
I remember seeing the tears in their eyes when they retold their stories to my brother and me.” 

Special prayers (“Panakhydas”) for the Holodomor victims were held in the North Port Ukrainian churches and in many other cities, including the traditional service in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, attended by government officials and religious leaders of several denominations.
The commemorations of the Revolution of Dignity included wreath layings and special ceremonies with prayers at the memorials for the “Heavenly Hundred” — the more than 100 defenseless students and other volunteers killed during the Revolution by special presidential units of “Berkut” and hired snipers, and for the fallen heroes who now defend Ukraine from Putin’s Russia’s aggression. The commemoration in Kyiv was led by President Petro Poroshenko, while his wife Maryna attended and spoke at the Holodomor dedication in Washington.
•••
My wife Katrusia and I wish our children, grandchildren, great-granddaughters, all other relatives and our friends and neighbors a happy and healthy Thanksgiving Day.
Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com.

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobry