CHRISTOS ROZDAJETSJA!
SLAVITE JEHO!
MAY THE PEACE AND JOY
OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS
BE YOURS TO SHARE
DURING THIS BLESSED SEASON.
26 December 2014
14 December 2014
JOIN US FOR OUR RUSYN NEW YEAR POTLUK
THE CARPATHO-RUSYN SOCIETY
LAKE MICHIGAN CHAPTER
INVITES YOU TO A
RUSYN NEW YEAR POT-LUCK
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2015
ST. MARY BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH HALL
2002 DAVIDSON PLACE
WHITING, IN
12 NOON SOCIALIZING AND RUSYN MARKET SHOPPING
1 P.M. THE FEASTING BEGINS
FOLLOWED BY CHRISTMAS CAROLING PLEASE BRING YOUR
FAVORITE RUSYN OR OTHER COVERED DISH OR DESSERT.
RSVP BY JANUARY 2
WITH THE NUMBER COMING & WHAT’S IN YOUR POT TO:
lakemichiganrusyns@gmail.com or 708/895-3074
20 November 2014
ON-LINE ADVENT LECTURE SERIES AT CHRIST THE SAVIOUR CATHEDRAL
With
the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa, Christ the Saviour
Cathedral is pleased to announce that it will host a three-week Advent Lecture
series. The lectures, which will be open to the public and live streamed via
the internet, will take place on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm beginning December
2, 2014. They will be delivered by professors from Christ the Saviour Seminary
and will be one hour in duration. A
question-and-answer session will follow.
The Lecture Schedule is as follows:
Dec. 2 - "Rejoice O Isaiah... A Scriptural Study of the Old Testament Prophecies and Their Fulfillment in the Nativity of Our Lord " - Very Rev Protopresbyter Kenneth Bachofsky;
Dec. 2 - "Rejoice O Isaiah... A Scriptural Study of the Old Testament Prophecies and Their Fulfillment in the Nativity of Our Lord " - Very Rev Protopresbyter Kenneth Bachofsky;
Dec. 9 - "The Incarnation: the Hardest Story for the Modern World,
and How to Tell It Well" - Very Rev. Fr. Jonathan Tobias;
Dec. 16 - "The Christmas Heresy" - Very Rev. Protopresbyter
Lawrence Barriger
Faithful from Diocesan parishes in the Johnstown Deanery are encouraged
to attend the lecture series at the Cathedral located at 300 Garfield St., Johnstown, PA. Parishes with internet
capabilities are encouraged to watch the lectures as a group. A chat room
feature will allow for interaction with the presenter during the Q & A
sessions.
The lecture series may be viewed live by clicking here.
This lecture series is being co-sponsored by Christ the Saviour
Seminary and Christ the Saviour Cathedral in partnership with the Diocesan
Apostolate for Information Technology and Communications.
For more information, please contact Protopresbyter Robert Buczak,
Cathedral Dean, at kbuczak@msn.com
.
02 November 2014
CZECHOSLOVAK GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY SEARCHING FOR MORE INCLUSIVE NAME
Polly Walker, a Carpatho-Rusyn from Minnesota, was recently elected to the board of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International which had its annual meeting at the end of October. Among the topics of discussion was a potential name change for the organization.
When the organization was first started in 1988, the country of Czechoslovakia existed. Now that it no longer exists, the Society is receiving a fair number of comments (especially from Europe) that the name is outdated...and, in some ways, offensive. After wracking their brains at the meeting, the board members decided to go home and ask their friends and family for some suggestions. As many Carpatho-Rusyn Society members are also members of CGSI, Polly requested the Lake Michigan Chapter to help their efforts by posting information about its name search.
According to Polly, the organization is looking for something that is easy to remember, fairly short and will explain what it does. Its Mission Statement reads:
Our purposes include promoting genealogical
research and creating an interest in ancestry and heritage among descendants of
ethnic groups who comprised the former nation of Czechoslovakia, including
Bohemian (Czech), German-Bohemian (Bohmisch), Hungarian, Moravian, Ruthenian
(Rusyn), Silesian, Slovakian, and those of Jewish ancestry.
Please go to the group’s website https://www.cgsi.org to learn
more about the organization and see its current logo--a tree whose leaves form the
outline of the former Czechoslovakia. According to Polly, the next step
is to delineate where the different ethnic groups are located within the leafy
area.
She also notes that “the name change will be tricky
as we need to try to somehow incorporate all of these ethnic groups. I would appreciate any and all suggestions
you may have. Thanks so much for your time!”
If you have any ideas you’d like to share with
Polly, send them to her at rusynakova@gmail.com.
28 October 2014
CARPATHO-RUSYN RESEARCH CENTER OPPORTUNITY
The Carpatho-Rusyn Research Center, a non-profit
organization founded in 1978 to promote Carpatho-Rusyn cultural knowledge, is
seeking someone to handle book orders, including sales, packaging, and sending,
as well as minor business tasks such as filing the annual non-profit tax status
(a simple “check a few boxes” process), keeping a list of customers, and
sending out book advertisement flyers.
The business and book sales manager
maintains contact with Professor Paul R. Magocsi, president of the C-RRC, regarding
all aspects of the work. The hours of work are completely flexible and are
determined by the individual. Approximately eight hours may be required some
weeks and up to fifteen hours during high order periods. Increased time spent
on the job means increased sales, and the manager receives 10% of sales
revenue. Some ability to read book titles in Rusyn is welcome, but not
required.
For the past 36 years, the C-RRC has made available dozens of books
in English and Rusyn, as well as pamphlets, maps, and educational cassettes to
those interested in learning about the history, language, literature, and
culture of Carpatho-Rusyns. The manager will derive much satisfaction from
keeping current with the latest available books and materials about Rusyns, as
well as from helping spread knowledge of Rusyn history and culture to scholars,
students, and all who are interested in increasing their
understanding.
For further information, contact Patricia Krafcik, secretary of the
C-RRC, at (360) 786-6580 or e-mail her (patkrafcik@gmail.com). You may also contact Elaine Rusinko at rusinko@umbc.edu.
02 October 2014
01 September 2014
Folk Traditions of the Village of Jakubany, Slovakia
Presented by the Kečera (Kechera) Folk
Ensemble
First American Tour
September 17 – October 3, 2014
(Translated and edited
by: Maryann Sivak)
Christening/Baptism (Kerstiny) (6 minutes)
One of life’s most beautiful moments is the celebration of birth and baptism of the new family member. In this presentation, we see Jakubany’s beautifully unique costumes: the baby’s bonnet and Christening outfit, the godmother’s distinctive blanket costume and a lovely crocheted linen curtain that separates the mother and child from people attending the baptism. When the godfather, godmother and mother of the child return home from church, the invited guests are already at the house celebrating. The godmother has the baby wrapped in a special blanket (pylka), which is wrapped around herself as well. When the godmother comes inside, another woman helps her unwrap the pylka. Then the godmother lays the child on a scarf placed on the floor, saying: "We took a baby pagan and brought you back a Christian. Whoever finds this child appealing may pick it up." The father then comes and picks up the child to welcome him home. Then the guests sing and dance and present gifts for the baby. An individual is appointed to collect the gifts. He recites a few words from the Holy Scripture before accepting the first gift for the baby. Those first gifts come from the godmother and godfather, followed by those from the family and guests.
One of life’s most beautiful moments is the celebration of birth and baptism of the new family member. In this presentation, we see Jakubany’s beautifully unique costumes: the baby’s bonnet and Christening outfit, the godmother’s distinctive blanket costume and a lovely crocheted linen curtain that separates the mother and child from people attending the baptism. When the godfather, godmother and mother of the child return home from church, the invited guests are already at the house celebrating. The godmother has the baby wrapped in a special blanket (pylka), which is wrapped around herself as well. When the godmother comes inside, another woman helps her unwrap the pylka. Then the godmother lays the child on a scarf placed on the floor, saying: "We took a baby pagan and brought you back a Christian. Whoever finds this child appealing may pick it up." The father then comes and picks up the child to welcome him home. Then the guests sing and dance and present gifts for the baby. An individual is appointed to collect the gifts. He recites a few words from the Holy Scripture before accepting the first gift for the baby. Those first gifts come from the godmother and godfather, followed by those from the family and guests.
During the
festivities mother and child are behind the crocheted curtain which is hung on
pegs around the bed.
Washing
Clothes by the River(RajbaňapriPotoku) (6
minutes) In Jakubany, traditionally women washed their laundry in the Jakubjanka river using only plain soap. To do this they used a small stool and large wooden spatula (pranik). They would wet the laundry, soap it and then beat it with the pranik. During those times many nice songs were created. The girls would often sing them while washing the laundry by the river. Housewives would also carry their woven flax cloth (linen) to the riverbank, where they would weigh it down with stones. They would pour water over the cloth, let the sun bleach it, then repeat the process until in a few days the cloth became pure white. In the earlier years wooden ash was used as a bleach to brighten the linen.
The
Sunday Dance by the Jakubjanka Riverbanks (ZabavanaKamjincu) (7 minutes)
This presentation shows how the Jakubany villagers (young and old)
would spend their summer Sunday afternoons.
After the holy liturgy in the church, young men would ask local Gypsies
to play while the locals danced and sang till dusk. Nowadays, the Gypsy
musicians have been replaced by talented Jakubjanites and the singing and
dancing have been relocated to the Jakubany cultural center.
Mountains (Hory) (5
minutes)
People from Jakubany once lived a pastoral life. Most of their time was spent in the mountains, pasturing their animals or harvesting hay for them to eat in winter. Shepherds spent the entire time from spring to autumn in the mountains. In this presentation, we hear mostly slow, prolonged songs called travnice, designed for creating echoes from the mountains. Men would leave for the mountains to cut grass in the early morning. Usually this began after the feast of St. John the Baptist in late June. In the afternoon, women came up carrying lunch/dinner wrapped in a blanket (portok) that they carried their on backs. Mostly they brought pirohy and other homemade Jakubjany dishes. While the men ate, women would rake the hay and spread it so it would dry faster. If a woman came with a small baby/child, the husband would build a tripod. On this a blanket (plachta) was tied, creating a cradle where the baby could rest.
People from Jakubany once lived a pastoral life. Most of their time was spent in the mountains, pasturing their animals or harvesting hay for them to eat in winter. Shepherds spent the entire time from spring to autumn in the mountains. In this presentation, we hear mostly slow, prolonged songs called travnice, designed for creating echoes from the mountains. Men would leave for the mountains to cut grass in the early morning. Usually this began after the feast of St. John the Baptist in late June. In the afternoon, women came up carrying lunch/dinner wrapped in a blanket (portok) that they carried their on backs. Mostly they brought pirohy and other homemade Jakubjany dishes. While the men ate, women would rake the hay and spread it so it would dry faster. If a woman came with a small baby/child, the husband would build a tripod. On this a blanket (plachta) was tied, creating a cradle where the baby could rest.
The dried hay was raked and
loaded onto wagons pulled by cows, oxen or horses. At those times, the forest roads were full of
life as people were bringing home their harvest and storing it in their
barns. One could hear wonderful singing
voices and their echoes throughout the valley.
The lyrics of those songs accurately depicted the hard life of the
mountain people and how, via song, they would make their lives more pleasant.
St. John’s Fire (JánskyOhni) (8-16 minutes)
This is one of the most beautiful celebrations and is held in Jakubany to this very day. Every year on St. John the Baptist’s holy day, young single men and single girls meet behind the barns where they gather and party. They then form in lines and parade down the main street singing and carrying torches (Svatojanskeohne).
Meanwhile, as the young men are pasturing cows, they fashion torches from pine branches coated with resin. At dusk they light them and forming a line, wend their way through the Jakubany hills. The whole village can enjoy watching this fiery procession. At the finale, St. John’s Bonfire (JanskaVatra) is built. Actually, more likely several Vatras are built and placed in
such a way that the whole village can see them. Vatras are built only from wood and groups of young men compete to see which Vatra is the most spectacular. The villagers are delighted watching their young and listen to their beautiful singing voices.
Scutching Flax (Terťalenu) (8 minutes)
A lot of work went into producing the thread which women would weave into linen cloth. First, the flax plant was well drenched with water and then dried in bundles. Next, seeds were beaten out using arjaf, while the fibers became really frayed. Women then would scutch the flax by using the terlica until all the shiv, the woody outer coat, was gone. They then pulled the fibers repeatedly through a metal comb (česadlo)until they had fluffy flax strands well combed and without contaminants ready to be spun into thread. This demonstration shows how young girls helped to scutch flax and how boys would come by with music to enliven their work, letting the girls have a little fun.
The bride invites her bridesmaids to make a wedding wreath and also to gather plumes for the groomsmen’s hats. The men come by while the bridesmaids are tying the feathers for them, and they dance and sing. That night and the following day the groomsmen’s job is to personally invite guests to the wedding. At every home as groomsman enters, the woman of the house ties a ribbon on his vest (huňa). She, thereby, confirms attendance of her family members at the wedding.
Bonneting is
one of the principal ceremonies during which a single girl become a wife. A pillow is placed on a chair in the middle
of the living room. The women, briefly,
place a boy on the pillow to express the hope that the first child will be a
male. Then the bride is seated. The best man asks the master of the ceremony
if he may remove her bridal crown. When
given permission, he lifts the crown with a sword, which he sticks into one of
the beams.
The bride
holds a mirror to watch the women as they position her newly-crocheted
bonnet. The bridesmaids sing a bonneting
song while protecting it from the groomsmen, who try to snatch it away. Then the groom comes over and puts paper
bills on the bonnet until it is covered with money. The couple dance their first dance. They are followed by the bridal party and
finally the wedding guests.Induction into the Military (Rukovaňa) (6 minutes)
In former
days, the village 18-year-old boys were drafted into the armed forces. Inductions were held miles away in Spišska
Bela. Accompanied by Jakubany’s mayor,
the boys travelled there in a decorated horse-drawn wagon. Along the way they sang military songs. At the ceremony, each draftee received a
tricolor ribbon in the national colors of red, white, and blue.
Upon their
return, the mayor hosted them at a bar (karčma), giving each a bottle of
spirits. They had a party with singing
and dancing. Afterward they attended
confession and a liturgy. Later in the
week, each boy had a party at home with family and friends. Eventually he would kiss his parents and an
icon goodbye. Then his friends would pick
up his luggage and they and the village girls would escort him to the train
station.
A.
St. Andrew’s Day – The girls
would drip molten lead into a basin full of water. As it cooled, the lead would assume some
form. Based on the shape of the form,
the girls could tell their futures. For
example, if the lead took the shape of a cradle, the girl would become a
godmother. If it formed a bonnet, the
girl would soon be married. If it cooled
in the shape of a wreath she would become a maid of honor.
When making pirohy, a girl would insert the
names of village boys before pinching
them
closed and dropping them into boiling water.
The first pirohy that bobbed to the
surface
would contain the name of her future husband.
B.
Gathering for Spinning
Flax – Throughout the winter, girls would spend evenings
spinning flax into thread. At some point
while the girls were busy with spinning, the boys would come with musical
instruments (mostly accordions). They
would tease the girls, then they would all dance and sing. The day before Mardi Gras would see the last
and best spinning party. Once a woman
had volunteered to host the gathering, the girls would come and clean her house
and wash the floors. Plenty of good food
was also carried in. They, then,
presented her with a tree branch festooned with colorful ribbons. When the boys arrived, the party began.
C.
Mardi Gras – In Jakubany,
Mardi Gras is always celebrated on Sunday; Lent begins the following
Monday. On Mardi Gras, the villagers
have their last opportunity to eat meat for months. Hence, it becomes a virtual meat feast. After the evening church bells ring, they
must forego all meat, dairy products and eggs until Easter.
23 August 2014
Come and experience Rusyn and Lemko folk traditions of Jakubany, Slovakia
Kečera
Folk Ensemble
First American Tour -- September
19 - 28, 2014
Come and experience the folk traditions of Jakubany, Slovakia for yourself!
The
folk group Kecera from the Rusyn village of Jakubany in Northeastern Slovakia
will be performing for the first time in the United States. Jakubany has a rich cultural heritage,
including distinctive folklore, music, dance and costume. The villagers of
Jakubany developed these traditions based on their relationships with the
forests, pastures and mountains that surround them. In fact, "Kecera"
is named after a small mountain on the outskirts of their village. The
performances by Kecera are not only artistic and educational, but they help to
keep alive the traditions and values of the people. Kecera depicts traditional
life in Jakubany through song, dance and costume. People from around the world
have enjoyed viewing scenes from weddings, christenings, holidays, celebrations
and also everyday life. Kecera's beautiful and original songs have been
recorded and sold throughout the world. We are lucky to have Kecera perform in
the U.S.A.
Performance Schedule
Come and experience
Rusyn and Lemko folk traditions of Jakubany, Slovakia.
The program will
highlight the village’s customs, traditions, songs and festivals.
Friday, September 19—Johnstown, PA
Hiram G. Andrews Center Time:
6:30 pm
727 Goucher Street Tickets: $10 in advance; $12 at the door
Saturday, September 20—Cleveland, OH
St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic
Cathedral Time: 2:00 pm; 4:00 pm; 7:30 pm
Carpathian Hall Tickets:
$5
1900 Carlton Rd.
Sunday, September 21—Munhall, PA
Carpatho-Rusyn Cultural Center Time: 5:00 pm
(Former
St. John’s Byzantine Catholic Cathedral)
Tickets: $12
915 Dickson St.
Tuesday, September 23—Minersville, PA
SS Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic
Church Time: 6:30 pm
Hillcrest Catering Hall Tickets: $10 adults; students free
631 Minersville-Llewellyn Highway
Hillcrest Catering Hall Tickets: $10 adults; students free
631 Minersville-Llewellyn Highway
Contact: Rich Laychock
Email: rlaychock @c-rs.org or
evenings by phone 717/583-4884
Wednesday, September 24—Harrisburg, PA
St. Ann’s Byzantine Catholic Church Time: 7:00 pm
5408 Locust Lane Tickets: $12 adults, $6 students; under 8 free
Contact: Rich Laychock
Email: rlaychock @c-rs.org or evenings by phone 717/583-4884
Thursday, September 25, 2014—Fairfax, VA
Luther
Jackson Middle School Time:
7:00 pm
Hosted by
the National Capital Chapter Tickets: Thru 9/10—ages 5-12/$12;
ages 13 & up/$17
of C-RS & Slovak
American Society of Washington After
9/10—ages 5-12/$15; ages 13 & up/$20
For
tickets, please visit: http://www.showclix.com/event/3867112/tag/cpc.
Use the code “C-RS” to receive a discount.
Friday, September 26—Linden, NJ
Msgr. Komar Hall Time: 6:30 pm
2806 Parkway Avenue Tickets: $40
(advance); $45 (at the door)
(dinner and coffee included)
Saturday, September 27—Highstown, NJ
Slovak and Czech American Farm Club Time: 630
pm
23 Hankins Road Tickets:
$35 (advance); $40 (at the door)
(gulas and coffee included)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK ON THESE:
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