Христос раждається! Christos Raždajetsja! Christ is born!

For those of you who follow the old calendar, the best of Christmas wishes to you! 

The Nativity scene below comes from the original St. Michael the Archangel Church at 2417 N. Campbell Ave. on Chicago's North Side. 

Yes, it's a very Westernized image of the first Christmas, but it reflects the period when the church -- now located in Niles, Ill. -- was formed in 1914.

The original hangs behind the iconostasis at St. Michael's. Thanks to Father Sam Sherry for allowing me to photograph it.

Images from Carpatho-Rusyn Christmases past

Today is Christmas Eve, according to the Julian Calendar, which is a good time to post some photos of Christmases past from the Carpatho-Rusyn communities of Illinois and Indiana. 

Both photos show Viflejemčiki or Jasličkári, traditional Rusyn Bethlehem singers. The tradition was brought from villages in the Carpathian homeland, where the costumed groups of young men would go from house to house, singing carols and performing brief plays.

The first is undated, and comes from Nativity of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church the coal mining town of Buckner, Ill., southeast of St. Louis, Mo., and comes to us thanks to Phil Chomiak.

Lying down in the photo are George Durkota and Frank Repak. Seated are Mike Beskidnek and Charles (Wasil) Spontak. Standing, with head-pieces and robes are John Bobiak, Myron Posypanko, Sam Grozik, and Steve Revak. Standing, back row, in suits, are George Orshak, Frank (Buck) Disko, and John Baligroski. The church was made by Mike Grozik.

Next is a faded image from the Holy Ghost Greek Catholic Church, located in Indiana Harbor, Ind.

I apologize for the quality of the photo, but it's a scan of a faded page from the 1936 Greek Catholic Union Kalendar. 

The priest is identified as Rev. Irinij Dolhy. Parish council president Michael Primich is at left, and singing teacher Theodor Berezni is at the right.

None of the boys are identified.

A Rusyn competition on Radio Slovakia International

Slovakia's Carpatho-Rusyn minority is the subject of a question in Radio Slovakia International's latest listener competion.

The competition features a monthly question concerning one of the country's minority groups.

The January question: "In which year did the Rusyns in Slovakia get the official status of an ethnic minority?"

Answers are accepted until Jan. 27 at englishsection@slovakradio.sk or by regular mail to Radio Slovakia International, Mytna 1, PO Box 55, 817 55 Bratislava, Slovakia.

The winner of the competition -- which runs until July -- gets a week-long stay for two at the water park in Poprad in Vysoke Tatry. (You'll have to get to Slovakia on your own, though).

The passing of John Warhola

John Warhola in front of Andy's portrait of
their mother, Julia, at the Warhol Museum

John Warhola, the older brother of the best known of American Rusyns, Andy Warhol, died Christmas Eve at the age of 85.

He is survived by his older brother, Paul, and his sons:  Donald, Mark and Jeffrey.  

Here is his obituary from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Here's the obituary from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Here's the report, in Slovak, from the Slovak press agency SITA.

Vičnaja jemu pamjat!

Христос раждається! Christos Raždajetsja! Christ is born!

"Rusyn Christmas," an oil painting by Michal Sirik

A little Rusyn Christmas music

With two weeks left until Christmas (unless you're on the old calendar and have a couple more weeks), I'm sure holiday preparations are going on in homes across North America.

A little Rusyn Christmas music may help when you're making nut roll, or wrapping presents, and the Internet offers a couple great choices.

The archive of Jerry Jumba's old "Carpatho-Rus' Radio Show" provides a few hours of Christmas tunes here, here and here.

And, of course, there's the continuing Sunday afternoon broadcasts of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society's radio show, hosted by Dean Poloka. Here and here are last year's Christmas special.

The details of our January 15th Rusyn New Year pot-luck

The Lake Michigan Chapter of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society invites you to a Rusyn New Year Pot-Luck on Saturday, January 15 at St. Michael Orthodox Church, 7313 Waukegan Road, Niles, IL.

The doors open at noon for socializing, shopping at the Rusyn market and photo scanning.

We're collecting the history of Rusyns in the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana. You can help by bring your old family photographs and documents for us to scan and make digital copies without harming the originals. Please bring typed or printed names of the people and places and the date of the photo to include in the archives.

The feasting begins at 1 p.m., followed by some traditional Rusyn Christmas carols.

Bring your favorite Rusyn or other covered dish, or dessert. Beverages will be provided.

RSVP by January 10th the number coming and what you'll be bringing to  cpconjelko@frontier.com (Charlotte) or 708-895-3074 (Ken) Be sure & leave a message.

Directions from the north:  Take I-294 South to Exit IL-58/Golf Rd.  Turn left on East River Rd. then left (east) on Golf Rd.  Turn right (south) on IL-21/Milwaukee Ave.  Make a left on Howard St. and a right on Waukegan Rd.  Turn left into church parking lot across from Marathon Gas Station. 

Directions from the south:  Take I-90 to Touhy Ave. exit (I-Pass users stay to right as exit is immediately after tollbooth).  Stay on Touhy thru Park Ridge.  Turn left on Milwaukee (small park on right with Christmas display), staying in right lane and immediately after turning bear right onto Waukegan Road.  Church sits back off road across from Marathon Gas Station.