Carpatho-Rusyn ‘Big Supper’ Is Still Our Christmas Eve Celebration
We could have a turkey or ham, tasty side dishes and elaborate desserts to celebrate, but this simple, meatless one reminds us of our heritage.
When my grandmother came to the United States in 1907, she brought a steamer trunk with all her worldly possessions. She also brought traditions steeped in the Byzantine Catholic heritage that formed the center of life for the peasant farmers and herders in her small village in the Carpathian Mountains, along what is now the Slovakian border with Poland. One of those traditions is what our family calls “Big Supper,” the Christmas Eve Holy Supper celebrated by Carpatho-Rusyns (Ruthenians) and other eastern European nationalities. We don’t follow most of the feast’s religious customs today—fasting before the meal, wheat at the table, clean white tablecloth, holy water and garlic. Nor do we drink the shots of whiskey before the meal (even …
marge murray
9:47 am on Sunday, December 25, 2011
Thank you! I do remember this from my BaBa's home. I still do this far from my home but no family. Our Dgt.and her husband and 20 or my friends (family)! We have been doing this for over 25 years! Our friends are our family and we welcome new people anytime. Christos Razdajetsja! more ›