St. George's UCY & UCYA Obzhynky Supper & Dance!

September 8, 2009 -- The St. George's Young Adults are once again holding an "Obzhynky" Supper and Dance this Year as a fundraiser. It is open to everyone who wishes to come!

It will be held at St. Georges Youth Centre on the corner of Ave M and 20th Street. We have chosen Saturday September 26th as the date and Tickets are available by calling John at 249-0493 Len at 242-4776 or the Parish Rectory at 664-3459. Poster (PDF)

Adam Nahachewsky and Oksana Prokopchuk-Gauk
St. Georges UCYA Executive Members

Here is a short explanation on the tradition of the Obzhynky dance

The Meaning of "Obzhynky"

Obzhynky (ob-ZHYN-ky) is essentially a Ukrainian Thanksgiving celebration, and is the culmination of harvest. The basic form of the word, "zhaty," means to reap, or to harvest; "zhentsi" are the reapers.

The harvest was, and still is, an essential component to life -- it provides us with food. Since the livelihood of the Ukrainian people was traditionally agrarian, harvest rituals have been central to the Ukrainian culture for centuries.

The last day of harvest was the holiday: Obzhynky. The last sheaf of the best grain, or "ostanniy snip" was ceremoniously reaped, tied and decorated with flowers and ribbons. This sheaf became the "didukh" for Christmas Eve.

In addition to its symbolism of harvest, the didukh also represents our ancestors. In pre-Christian times, people believed that the souls closest to each family were present in the didukh following harvest. This is why making it, decorating it, and carrying it home in a procession was an important part of obzhynky.