The communities from the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate of the Romanian Patriarchate celebrated Christmas according to the old calendar on January 7. It was a wonderful opportunity to continue the tradition, pray for world peace and be reunited with natives of the area who currently serve in other dioceses.
“The prayers for world peace were read on Christmas day as they have been every Sunday. In some of the parishes, including Sighet Parish, where I serve, we also read a special prayer for our spiritual sons and daughters, which is read on Christmas. We also read the Patriarch Daniel’s pastoral letter,” transmitted, for Basilica.ro, Father Marius Nicolae Lauruc, Counsellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate.
“On the first day of Christmas, after liturgy, a Christmas carol concert was held in all the parishes – by the community choir or by a children’s choir.”
Among folk traditions for Christmas in the Ukrainian communities in Romania, PărFather Marius Nicolae Lauruc mentioned The Bethlehem and Old Carolling.
“The Bethlehem is a folk enactment of the moment of the Nativity of the Lord. Some 10-15 years ago, we had many groups. Now there is only one group in each community preparing the enactment. This tradition has been kept alive and the enactment is presented after the Vigil for the Nativity of the Lord,” explained the counsellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate.
“Another old custom in some communities is the so-called Old Carolling: a group of parish counsellors go carolling in the name of the church. They try to cover as much as they can from the area of the village and people joyfully receive them.”
Father Marius Nicolae Lauruc also mentions the joy of officiating together with sons of the village who are currently serving in other dioceses, but come back home to celebrate old-calendar Christmas with their friends and thus extend the joy of the feast of the Nativity of the Lord.
“Many former colleagues and friends from the Diocese of Maramureș and Sătmar and the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți come to serve in our churches for Christmas according to the old calendar.”
The Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate is an administrative-territorial canonical unit dependent on the Romanian Patriarchate and dedicated to the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful living in Romania. They attend services officiated in their mother tongue by Ukrainian priests.
Photo credit: Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate / Bistra Parish (article opening)
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