We had our typical Christmas Eve celebration by starting out at my mom and dad's house with my brothers and families. We opened our gifts and had refreshments. We then proceeded to the 4:00 Christmas Eve Children's mass where the kids act out the nativity story during mass. My two nephews, Jacob & Dawson (age 5) were shepherds and two nieces, Isabelle & Madalyn (age 2)were angels. They did a great job. When Kayla and Kelsey were younger they held parts as angels.
We always celebrated Christmas Eve at my grandparents house and my Grandma cooked the typical Ukrainian dinner. Both my grandparents, my dad's parents, are full-blooded Ukrainian. So the next generation, my parents, aunts and uncles now carry on the tradition by cooking and serving the Ukrainian meal at my Aunt Deb and Uncle Todd's house. Ukrainians fast from dairy and meat products on Christmas eve.
After mass we head to my aunt's house for the traditional meal. My Aunt Deb makes the borsch - which is a vegetable soup, including beets. In the Ukraine, the winter diet was based on several standard staples--the vegetables that kept well over winter such as beets, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. The Ukrainian cook was and is very resourceful in preparing many delicious dishes from very simple ingredients--which you will see in our Christmas dinner. My mom makes the holubsti (meatless stuffed cabbage roll), my mom, dad and others made the pyrohy in advance and freeze, and my Aunt Terri and Uncle Larry make the fish and shrimp.
The borsch (beet soup):
The holubsti (meatless cabbage rolls):
The pyrohy, which is like a cheese button--we had ones filled with mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut:
The deep fried walleye and shrimp:
My aunts and uncles 14 foot tree:
The kids:
The stockings hung up with care:
As we were singing Christmas carols look who came through the front door!!
Kayla & Kelsey on Santa's lap...they got pajamas! Don't we all love pajamas!
We had a great Christmas with my family.....next to come...Ed's family on Christmas Day!
1 comment:
Family...that's what it's all about. Thanks for sharing a glimps of yours.
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