As the vast majority of people celebrated Christmas on Dec. 25, for orthodox Ukrainians, Christmas is just coming up on Saturday, January 6, a tradition that dates back over 1,000 years.

A number of families of Ukrainian descent in Weyburn will be celebrating, and the unique traditions of that holiday were explained by Stan Ganczar, president of the Weyburn and district Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

Sviata Vechera or Holy Supper is the central tradition of the beautiful Christmas Eve celebrations in Ukrainian homes, which is celebrated on Jan. 6 in the Orthodox faith. The dinner table has hay underneath and on top of the table, and is covered with an embroidered table cloth as a reminder of the manger in Bethlehem.

The children look for the first star in the eastern evening sky, which symbolizes the trek of the three Wise Men; the eldest son and grandfather now bring in a sheaf of wheat called the didukh, which represents the importance of the ancient and rich wheat crops of Ukraine.

A prayer is said and the father says the traditional Christmas greeting, "Khristos Rodyvaya" or "Christ is born", which is answered by the family with "Slavite Yoho" or "Let us glorify Him". The supper is started with boiled wheat which includes honey, poppy seed, nuts and cherries. The father throws a spoonful of wheat to the ceiling in the house, and the more kernels that stick to the ceiling the better the crop will be. Also a dish is put on the table reminding the family of a member who has passed away.

Then the meatless borscht is served, and a Ukrainian bread called Kolach is placed in the centre of the table with a candle placed in the middle of it, which is left burning all night.

Then the meal begins with 12 meatless dishes which remind us of the 12 Apostles. Food for the Holy Supper is prepared with no meat or dairy products. Christmas Eve day is a day of fasting in remembrance of the hardships that Mary endured as she and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem. The supper consists of stuffed salmon or fried fillets; pickled herring; meatless holubitsi; varenyky (perogies) made with potatoes, sauerkraut and prunes as fillings; sauerkraut and peas; broad beans or mashed beans, pidpenky with gravy; compote; pampushky and mahiwnyk.

As the star appears, the father carries a bowl of kutia around the house three times reciting prayers. When all the family is at the table, prayers are recited and the nativity Tropor is sung; after supper, nuts, candies and loose change are scattered in the hay under the table for the children to find. When it is almost midnight, all the family members go to the Nativity Mass, a celebration of Christ's birth.

Malanka or Shchedry Vechin on Jan. 13, according to the Julian calendar, is celebrated as Ukrainian New Year's Eve.