Epiphany: Ukrainians celebrate the second holy supper, or «hungry kutia»

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The second Holy Supper is considered to be of the same importance as the first one.
photo: from open sources

photo: from open sources

Every year 18 January, on the eve of Epiphany according to the Julian calendar, Ukrainians celebrate the second Holy Supper, which is also called the Hungry Kutia (kutia is traditionally the main sweet dish for Christmas made with buckwheat and poppyseed).

The kutia is called «hungry» because it is customary to fast on this day. From the very morning, the faithful do not eat anything, then arrange a modest Holy Supper, and continue to abstain from food until they consecrate the water in the church.

Read also: «Singing Against the Darkness: How Ukrainians Keep Christmas. Videos.»

Dinner should consist only of lean dishes – kutia, dumplings, compote. The whole family sits down to dine as the first star rises in the sky. They pray, begin and end the meal with a spoon of kutia.

On the Epiphany’s eve, the church usually consecrates water. At the same time, the vessel with water is decorated with flowers which should protect from troubles. When water is brought into the house, the owner must consecrate everyone present in the house, and then the house itself.

Read also: Double-vision holidays: after second Christmas, Ukrainians celebrate New Year again, 13 January

Water consecrated on the eve of the Epiphany, or as it is sometimes popularly called «evening water» – is considered more healing than the actual water from the Epiphany. People say it’s able to overcome all adversity and cleanse from trouble or the action of the evil eye. Children can sing shchedrivky this evening, running from house to house and generously wishing the hosts all good.

Tomorrow, 19 January, Ukrainians celebrate the Baptism of the Lord – the third and final big holiday of the Christmas and New Year cycle.

For reference: The majority faith in Lviv is Greek Catholicism, is a Christian confession which acknowledges Catholic doctrine and is in communion with the Pope, but maintains Eastern rites and rituals, including married priests and the old-style Julian calendar, 13 days behind Western religious holidays. Outside of the western region of Galicia, most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians, also abiding by the Julian calendar, but affiliated with Constantiple rather than in communion with Rome.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church emerged in 1596, when a part of the Orthodox Church recognised the supremacy of the Pope. Later, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) became mostly localised in the Western Ukraine, becoming one of the markers of the national identity for the region’s population during Austrian, Polish and Soviet rule. 

Currently, Kyiv is the center of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, under the jurisdiction of His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop of Kyiv-Galicia, and it is present in many regions of the country, though Galicia, where Lviv is, still remains its bulwark. It also has a strong presence among the Ukrainian diaspora, especially in parts of Canada, the United States, and Australia.

Translated by Vitalii Holich

You can read a Ukrainian language version of this story here.

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Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media-hub, which also hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.

 



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