Святкуймо Великдень
“Let Us Celebrate Easter”
Author: Володимира Круковська (Voldymyra Krukovs’ka)
Format: Softcover
Pages: 60
Language: Ukrainian
Illustrations: BW, few
Publisher: EuroSvit (L’viv, 2001)
Availability: unknown
Acquired: bookstore in L’viv
ISBN: 966-7343-16-2
This is one of a series of books which have been published in recent years in Ukraine on the theme of traditional holidays. The books are meant for school teachers and perhaps parents. There is not much scholarly material, only a few short and basic descriptions of holiday traditions. The book’s emphasis is, rather, collections of poems, plays and songs suitable for performance by school children.
In this book there are short descriptions of the traditions associated with the Easter holidays, a play about Easter (Velykden’), many short poems, and a collection of hayivky and vesnyanky. Shown below is a page about Easter Monday:
Text: “Holy Monday – the second day of the holiday (Easter), is also called ‘Poured’ Monday. After lunch boys will fill a container with water, and then attempt to sneak up on girls without being noticed, and to pour the water over them. This immersion is considered a cleansing of your health, because water symbolizes health. A folk saying encourages you to ‘Be healthy like water!’”
River water, sea water,
Rain water.....
Young and old
Both declare:
Water us abundantly
from head to toe!
So that we will be healthy
and happy always.
So that children will grow
joyously healthy.
You are our sustenance
O holy mother!
You are our life,
O our queen!
Cleanse us all
of envy and sloth
Embrace us,
Make my beloved homeland
Healthy and strong!
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