Lynda Olsen Describes her Family’s Unique Ukrainian Christmas Celebration

Lynda Olsen Describes her Family’s Unique Ukrainian Christmas Celebration

Rosanne Fortier -News Correspondent

Ukrainian Christmas is a special time for many families who like to put their own unique touches on the special celebration. Lynda Olsen is one of these people.

Lynda Olsen said for the Ukrainian Christmas season they do not do a full traditional style, but they do, however, celebrate with a few culinary treats, along with some of the cultural aspects. “For example, on January 6, we enjoy some homemade varenyky with sour cream, holubtsi, and nalysyky. Then for a special treat after some khrustyky, sprinkled with icing sugar, I like to share the Ukrainian legend of the Christmas spider, and we act it out using a small tree and artificial web decorations.

Baba, Lynda Olsen with her granddaughters, Katana and Nykita.

(Soren Olsen/Submitted Photo)

One January 7, Christmas morning, my granddaughters will get a small gift from Svlatyji Mykolai, and there are many delicious left-overs to enjoy again that day! It is a time I look forward to each year.

Although this is not a truly traditional way of celebrating, it is what we can manage, so we do what we can with what we have. I also take this time to teach my granddaughters some Ukrainian words associated with Christmas and winter time, and it is my hope to expand on this more and more each year as we learn and celebrate together making Ukrainian Christmas memories as a family.”