We celebrated Christmas (by the Orthodox calendar) on January 7 here. In the villages, this is still a lot of traditional celebrating, which means 3 days of eating, drinking, and visiting family and friends. I think I could not eat for a week and I’d still feel full!
Christmas morning I woke up early and had some coffee and a light breakfast by myself while the rest of the family slept in late. Eventually, one by one, everyone got up, and around 11:00 Sasha found me in the living room and invited me to breakfast. When I walked into the kitchen, I couldn’t believe the feast on the table! I joked that if this was breakfast, I was afraid to see what lunch and dinner would be like — little did I know how prophetic my words would be! If only someone had warned me to pace myself a little better.
In the Orthodox church, traditionally there are many days during the year designated as ‘postnii’, which is often translated as ‘fasting’ but really means in this context to eat a vegan diet: no meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. The most devout, like our Babushka, eat a ‘postnii’ diet every Wednesday and Friday all year long, and on the many religious holidays. The 40 days before Orthodox Christmas are also all ‘postnii’ (although fish is allowed on Sundays) and the 50 days before Easter is called the ‘Velikii Post’ or ‘Great Fast.’ Thus, Babushka has been eating an even stricter vegetarian diet than my own for the past 40 days (I eat eggs and dairy). On Christmas morning, though, it was a meat-fest for her. The rest of the family do not follow these older traditions anymore, but all the same, being meat-lovers, they partook of the meat-fest as well.
Traditionally on Christmas Day, young boys will go house-to-house throughout the village, carrying decorated icons and singing a type of Christmas carol. In the past, the boys would be given candies or small trinkets or maybe a few coins. Today, Anna told me, the boys only want the cash. 🙂 I got a picture of our first ‘carolers’ on Christmas morning, and later we were visited by a trio of older boys in traditional Bulgarian dress playing traditional instruments and signing up a storm. It was a great treat, and very uncommon these days. My camera can record short (5 minute) videos, and I was quick enough to get a few minutes of their performance. It was spectacular, and Anna rewarded them not only with a money but also with wine, bread and smoked duck. We watched them for awhile as they moved up the street, on to the next houses.
After breakfast, Anna and Georgii invited me along on for the first ’round’ of the 3-day festivities, and we went first to Anna’s brother Kirill’s house. Their older brother, also named Georgii, was visiting with his wife Nadia from a village in the area known as Transnistria, a northeastern territory on the Ukrainian border that has sought independence from Moldova for 10 years or so. Although Transnistria is primarily populated with ethnic Russians, Georgii and Nadia live in a small village of mostly ethnic Moldovans. I would have loved to talk to them about the politics of the situation in Transnistria, but that will have to wait for another visit. There was a full table at Kirill’s house, as well, plus of course the house wine. Eating, drinking and family visiting made for a full agenda.
We were at Kirill’s house for a few hours, and then headed to Georgii’s uncle’s house, Zakhary. There were 20 years difference between Zakhary’s father and Georgii’s father, so although he’s Georgii’s uncle, Zakhary is only 6 years older than Georghii and they grew up more or less like brothers. We visited there a few more hours, and I politely insisted they didn’t need to scrounge up something vegetarian for me since there would be no room to put it! Nonetheless, a giant piece of cake was deposited in front of me, and you know I must have been REALLY full if I passed up some good lookin’ cake. We were there several more hours, put our coats on and STILL stayed another hour. I mentally checked out, as it was just too draining for me, and fortunately Anna recognizes now when I’m going into overload, she jokingly says my ‘computer’ is overheating. We had a 3 km walk home in the dark, and I was ready to go straight to bed. They all seemed pretty shocked that I was going to bed at 9 pm, without eating again no less! I slept like the dead, and needed it ’cause we would be the hosts the next day.
Saturday morning Anna was up early cooking up a storm. It was a beautiful day, spring-like actually. It was 10 degrees Celsius, which is in the low 50’s, with a clear blue sky. I decided to take advantage of the nice weather to make a short video tour of the ‘farm’ with my digital camera. Combined with the videos of the musicians from the day before, these ‘movies’ were quite a hit with the guests the next couple of days. Most adults in the village have never even seen a computer, and they are quite fascinated by my laptop, all my photos, and the short videos I’ve made.
Anna’s family arrived in early afternoon, and Round 2 of the festivities began. I was prepared this day, and had saved up my appetite. It was a feast beyond comparison. I enjoyed listening to their conversations, and I’m starting to understand Bulgarian a little bit, so I can get the gist of things more often now. I sat with them a few hours, and then was able to excuse myself before I reached overload. Sasha and I retired to the living room and watched the Russian program ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ (yes, they have that here too!). I had hoped to make it an early night again, but was asked to show the ‘movies’ again.
Sunday was again a beautiful day, 15 degrees Celsius (60’s?) and I went for a couple long walks. I had arranged to meet some local teenage boys in the morning who are interested in practicing their English with me (they are quickly becoming my informal English Club, I think). We walked through the park and around the village center, and they gave me a nice tour in English. Back at home, Georgii’s uncle Zakhary and his wife were visiting. Another impressive feast, but this time I managed to get away with only a gross amount of food, instead of an obscene amount. Went for another long walk by myself to enjoy the incredible weather and to hopefully work off a few of those calories.
Monday was ‘back to the grind.’ Well, sort of. Friday, January 14, we celebrated ‘Old’ New Year, that is, New Year by the old calendar. You’ll have to check your history books for more about the calendar change, as I won’t explain it all here. But I think changing calendars was a brilliant excuse to get to celebrate all the holidays twice. 🙂
Anka in Kyiv 