Hello to everyone! European Christmas season is just over, but the Ukrainians are in the heat of the final Christmas preparations. The celebration is mostly associated with the traditional Christmas Eve Supper that is called Sviata vecheria in Ukrainian language. All Orthodox Christians in Ukraine wait for this evening, because it symbolizes the end of the severe Lent, so Christmas Eve Supper is considered to be the last Lenten meal. Christmas Eve Supper is believed to be a very solemn and touching custom, so if you are going to visit your Russian lady in this holiday and would be invited to this celebration, you will not regret it. Christmas Eve Supper in Ukraine is definitely worth seeing (and tasting, of course)!First of all, you should know that Christmas Eve Supper in Ukraine consists of 12 to 13 meatless dishes representing Christ and his twelve Apostles. This meatless Christmas cuisine tradition is practiced in almost all the Slavic countries. Dishes may vary from region to region and from family to family: Eastern-Ukrainian Christmas supper differs from the Western Ukrainian one a lot. And the second you should know that you may probably be hungry all the day till the evening when the first star appears in the sky. Ukrainian children have to look for the first star and cry starting the Holy Supper. The supper traditionally starts with a prayer, the Our Father as a rule.

The first dish is traditionally so-called kutia, a kind of sweet pudding, made of grain, poppy seeds, honey, and raisins, nuts (almonds, walnuts or hazel nuts) or rice. This dish symbolizes prosperity and wealth of the coming year, so you should taste it. In several regions the Christmas supper begins with the blessed bread that shared with all the family members. It also means the wish to be wealthy and healthy in the next year as well. Beet borsch or sauerkraut soup, boiled and fried dumplings filled with several variants like mushrooms or fried cabbage, cabbage rolls, baked or stewed fish, pickled herring and mushrooms, stewed beans are among the most common and favorite Christmas traditional dishes. Dried fruit compote (uzvar in Ukrainian), oaten jelly, fruits and nuts, doughnuts, sweet tarts and pastry cooks filled with sweet jam are usually for dessert. The Christmas supper is usually held under candle lights that symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. People sing Christmas carols and have a quiet peaceful evening praising and glorifying God’s birth.