1 minute read
Special festive Ukrainian celebration
By John Chettoe
LOCAL Ukrainian families came together to celebrate St Nicholas Day at The Bishop’s Palace chapel in Wells on December 19.
Advertisement
In total 98 guests enjoyed the service and festivities, including 65 Ukrainians, the rest made up of their sponsor families and some specially invited guests. This is a popular and much-loved celebration as traditionally on this day in Ukraine and other Orthodox countries, St Nicholas brings presents to children.
Guests were treated to authentic Ukrainian dishes typically served on this feast day, prepared by Palace Pastor, Rosey Lunn who researched the recipes with Ukrainian women at the Welcome Hub at the Portway Annexe.
The Ukrainian guests were also given free entrance to the Christmas lights in the Palace gardens.
The centrepiece of the celebration was Orthodox Vespers, celebrated by Fr Richard Penwell, assisted by Mother Sarah and the choir of the Bath Orthodox Church (part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople). The choir, which normally sings in English, learnt at short notice to sing in Church Slavonic (the liturgical language of the Orthodox Church) especially for the occasion.
During the Service Fr Richard blessed an icon of St Michael the Archangel (the patron saint of Ukraine) painted by Katya Lebid, a Ukrainian living in Somerton, as a thank you gift to St Michael’s Anglican Church in Somerton.
One Ukrainian guest commented later: “It’s the first time since I came to England when I could celebrate my holiday with other people actually celebrating the same holiday and I didn’t feel the need to explain the traditions and the meaning of some things to English people around me. I went to bed with such a warm feeling in my heart. England felt as close to being my home as it never did before.”
The event was organised by Churches Together in Somerset in partnership with the Palace Pastor, at the invitation of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. It was hosted by Bishop Michael Beasley and his wife Lizzie.
Care
Own Home
Care in your own home
