Christmas Time and New Year Celebrations

Ukrainian St. Nicholas
(Svyatyj Mykolai)

Everyone knows what time of year it is when they hear the ever popular song, by American crooner Andy Williams, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Of course it is. It's Christmas time! It's a joyous occasion. This is a time for celebrating the birth of Christ. Families attend church services, and enjoy Christmas supper. It's also a time for singing Christmas carols, attending holiday concerts, shopping, get-togethers, baking and merry-making. Best of all, perhaps, it's the season for receiving or giving gifts. So, if you were nice, Santa Claus will be sure to bring you a present. If you were naughty, then you might not get anything at all!
This tradition dates back to the 4th century when Saint Nicholas of Myra or Nicholas the Wonderworker who showed his love by passing out secret gifts to children and helping the needy. In North America, St. Nick is better known as Santa Claus from the Dutch word Sinterklaas  or Sint-Nicolaas. He may also be known as Sankt Nikolaus or Nikolaus in German, Saint Nicolas in French, and Sviatyij Mykolai (meaning Saint Nicholas) in Ukrainian, but it is he that gave rise to the North American persona Santa Claus. However, there are folks that still prefer to give gifts on Dec 6 (Gregorian calendar) or Dec 19 (Julian calendar) St. Nicholas Day so as not to take away from the real meaning of Christmas and that is the birth of Christ, and love and peace on earth.

The Hanukkah menorah

This is followed by additional merry-making in the New Year.  Many countries celebrate the New Year in their own way like the Islamic and Jewish New Years, and even at a different time of year like Japan, Korea, China or Vietnam. In any case, most countries will observe January 1 as the first day of the civil year following the Gregorian calendar. Moreover, nowadays it is not unusual to celebrate both the civil and liturgical New Year dates. The Scottish poet and lyricist, Robert Burns, has written many works but we know him mostly for ringing in the New Year with millions of people around the world singing his “Auld Lang Syne” on the last day of the year. 

Did anyone hear of Little Christmas?  Little Christmas or Old Christmas is more widely known as the Feast of the Epiphany. This Feast is celebrated 12 days after Christmas and signals the end of the Christmas season and celebrations. Depending on what liturgical calendar one followed, it falls on January 6 for those following the Gregorian calendar and January 19 for those still following the Julian calendar.
One of the favorite traditions among Ukrainians is celebrating the Old New Year or Malanka (the daughter of Mother Earth) on January 13. It's an evening of song, fortune telling, eating and merriment.  After supper, the youth would go out and about wishing neighbors and friends a bountiful harvest, health and happiness through song and theatre.    One such popular Old New Year song is called "Shchedryk" or the Bountiful Evening. It's a song about a little swallow that flies into a household promising wealth with the coming of spring. With the coming of Christianity in 988, Ukraine's New Year celebrations moved from April to January. Consequently, this song with its magical chant became more closely associated with the Feast of Epiphany and other carols sung around Christmas time.  This song became known amongst Americans and Canadians as "The Carol of the Bells". The melody and four-note ostinato motif is the same, but the words written by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych have been rewritten by Peter J. Wilhousky to suit an American audience. "Ring, Christmas Bells", written by Minna Louise Hohman, is the alternate English version of this traditional Ukrainian folk song.

No matter how you say it, and no matter how you celebrate this period, there is a lot of love and joy around to share with everyone. Real love, however,  is about giving and not expecting something in return which is the true meaning of Christmas. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all!

Nollaig Shona Dhuit, 诞快乐, Frohliche Weihnachten, Feliz Natal/Boas Festas, Joyeux Noël, Milad Mubarak, Mo'adim Lesimkha, Veseloho Vam Rizdva, Khrystos Rodyvsia, Z Novym Rokom!

Blogpost by: Ihor Cap

Nollaig Shona Dhuit, 诞快乐, Frohliche Weihnachten, Feliz Natal/Boas Festas, Joyeux Noël, Milad Mubarak, Mo'adim Lesimkha, Veseloho Vam Rizdva, Khrystos Rodyvsia, Z Novym Rokom!

Blogpost by: Ihor Cap