Слава Ісусу Христу! Слава на віки!
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!
Traditions
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Some information on the traditions of the Ukrainian Catholic Chruch can be found here.
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FastingFasts (2021)
The following are Days of Fast and Abstinence (abstaining from meat, eggs, and dairy
products) in the Ukrainian Catholic Church. They are obligatory for all Ukrainian Catholics between the ages of 14 and 59.
a) Monday of the First Day of the Great Fast February 15th
b) Good Friday April 2nd
The following are Days of Fast (abstaining from meat):
- Eve of Theophany (January 5th)
- Holy Saturday (April 3rd)
- Beheading of St. John the Baptist (August 29th)
- Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14th)
- Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ (December 24th)
- Every Friday during the year except for January 1st, January 29th, April 9th, April 23rd, May 28th, December 31st
http://ukrarcheparchy.us/the_way/december-20-2020 -
Blessings
The Blessing of Homes: Between the Feast of Theophany (6 January) and the beginning of the Great Fast (Lent), it is customary in our Holy Church to have our homes blessed by the parish priest with the Holy Water sanctified on the Feast of Theophany. This is an ancient tradition of the Eastern Church and through it we extend the "blessing of the Jordan" into our homes and private places. This blessing of our homes underscores and enhances the connection between our parish life and our "Home Church." It also gives us and our children an opportunity to see our priest in a more personal situation. All of this strengthens our relationship with God and his Holy Church. Below are some guidelines for this House Blessing and pastoral visitation:- In the main room or in the icon corner place a candle, Cross and/or Icon on a clean linen cloth.
- You may make a list of family members you want prayed for during the Blessing Service, with the living and dead in separate columns.
- Turn on a light in every room so that Father can see where he is going.
- Turn off all stereos, TVs, computers, etc.
- Please have all pets confined or restrained.
- If you have any Icons, Crosses, religious articles you wish to have blessed, please place them on the table where the Service will take place.
- Everyone present when Father arrives should join him around the Icon corner or the kitchen or dining room table.
The Blessing of Pascha (Easter) Baskets: In celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord, it is a tradition to have baskets of food blessed. Some of the items traditionally included are:- Paska-The Easter Bread. Symbolic of Christ Himself, who is out True Bread. Usually a round load of bread decorated on the top with a Cross.
- Ham- This meat is popular as the main dish because of its richness and symbolic of the great joy and abundance of Pascha-Easter. Meat in the Pascha basket also symbolizes the calf sacrificed when the Prodigal Son returned home; the meat is a celebration of our return to Christ.
- Sausage- A spicy, garlicky sausage of pork product, indicative of God's favor and generosity.
- Cheese- Sweet cheese; mix farmer's cheese with confectionary sugar, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Indicative of the moderation that Christians should have in all things.
- Eggs/Pysanky- Hard boiled eggs-decorated, indicative of new life and Resurrection.
- Horseradish- A piece of the root or prepared horseradish with red beets. Symbolic of the Passion of Christ still in our minds sweetened with some sugar because of the Ressurection. It is also included in the basket to remind us of the bitter drink given to Christ at his crucifixion, vinegar and gall.
- Butter- Usually whipped (sometimes flavored with almond), is included in the basket to symbolize the Lamb of God, the sacrifice made for the world. Some families use a lamb-shaped mold for the butter, which made the symbolism even stronger
- Salt- A condiment necessary for flavor; reminding the Christian of his duty towards others.
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Liturgical Customs
No Kneeling during Liturgy from Pascha to Pentecost: Starting at the Feast of Pascha, and continuing until Pentecost Sunday (even throughout the week), we do not kneel during the Divine Liturgy. Kneeling is a sign of penance and contrition - but the joy of Pascha is so much greater in this season that we stand in celebration instead.