Metadata
WORK ID: YFA 6825 (Master Record)
| Title | Year | Date |
| CHRISTMAS MASS AT WILMER ROAD, HEATON, BRADFORD | 1988 | 1988-01-07 |
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Details
Original Format: VHS Colour: Colour Sound: Sound Duration: 3 hrs 4 mins 24 secs Genre: Documentary Subject: Religion Celebrations/Ceremonies Arts/Culture |
| Summary This film documents the Bradford Ukrainian community’s Christmas celebrations. It includes the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Christmas mass celebrated at the church on Wilmer Road on 7 January 1988, and the Yalynka community Christmas meal and celebration held in the main hall at Bradford Ukrainian Cultural Centre on Legrams Lane on 10 January 1988. The film was made by the Ukrainian Video Archives Society (UVAS) but is not credited to them. It is in colour with sound and the primary language is Ukrainian. These celebrations have a particular significance to the community, as they are taking place at the start of a year-long commemoration of the Millennium of Christian culture in Ukraine. |
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Description
This film documents the Bradford Ukrainian community’s Christmas celebrations. It includes the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Christmas mass celebrated at the church on Wilmer Road on 7 January 1988, and the Yalynka community Christmas meal and celebration held in the main hall at Bradford Ukrainian Cultural Centre on Legrams Lane on 10 January 1988. The film was made by the Ukrainian Video Archives Society (UVAS) but is not credited to them. It is in colour with sound and the primary language...
This film documents the Bradford Ukrainian community’s Christmas celebrations. It includes the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Christmas mass celebrated at the church on Wilmer Road on 7 January 1988, and the Yalynka community Christmas meal and celebration held in the main hall at Bradford Ukrainian Cultural Centre on Legrams Lane on 10 January 1988. The film was made by the Ukrainian Video Archives Society (UVAS) but is not credited to them. It is in colour with sound and the primary language is Ukrainian. These celebrations have a particular significance to the community, as they are taking place at the start of a year-long commemoration of the Millennium of Christian culture in Ukraine.
The first part of the film is the Christmas church service, and begins with external views of the church as people arrive. The camera moves inside and there are views of the mass from various positions win the church, including from upstairs. The cantor (dyak) is spoken by a nun (3 mins 40 secs). The [unidentified] priest leading the mass speak to the congregation at 12 mins 53 secs to welcome them and to introduce the other priests assisting him including Father Matychak, Monsignor [James Latymer] from Our Lady and First Martyrs, their neighbour Father [Richard Cumming] from St Cuthbert's and Ukrainian priest Father [Mykhaylo Gryniw]. The sermon is delivered by the unidentified priest at 41 mins, followed by Father Matychak.
There are lots of detailed views of the priests at the altar during the liturgy because of the camera position in the balcony. During the communion, several Christmas carols are sung by the congregation, including Hebo i Zemlya (Heaven and Earth) and Bohe Vsya Razdaye (Christ is born). At 1 hr 38 mins, there are sermons from the three guest priests (two Irish and one Italian / Ukrainian) which makes mention of the Millennium of Christianity. The unidentified priest speaks last, the concluding prayers are said and all the priests assemble in front of the iconostasis, leading prayers and the singing of Mnohaya Lita (Many Years), followed by the Patriarchal Hymn. The camera follows the congregation out of the church as mingles amongst them as they gather outside greeting each other and chatting. This section of the film ends at 2 hrs 17 mins 22 secs.
The next section starts at 2 hrs 17 mins 64 secs and shows the Yalynka community Christmas meal and is date stamped 10.01.1988. There are some occasional issues with the colour and the film goes green for a short time. At 2 hrs 20 mins, two little calls start shouting daddy at the camera operator.
The event starts formally at 2 hrs 21 mins with everyone being asked to take their seats. There is a welcome speech from an unidentified man (head of the Parent's Committee) followed by a speech from Bohdan Sweryt, head of the Ukrainian school. Father Matychak leads prayers and the singing of Boh Predvychniy (God Eternal). The meal begins and at 2 hrs 33 mins Father Matychak makes a speech about Yalynka's significance to the community and the importance of the Millennium. At 2 hrs 44 mins the school children go on stage to perform two carols, before a group photograph of the children and Father Matychak is taken. Everyone in the hall sings Boh Vsya Razdaye (God is born), and then half a dozen boys and girls recite a poem followed by a performance of carols by the kindergarten (sadochok) children with piano accompaniment. The entertainment continues with a poetry recital by two teenage girls, a group of older children sing Nova Radist Stala (A New Joy Occurs) followed by a vertep (nativity scene) where this carol is sung again. The film ends abruptly at 3 hrs 4 mins 24 secs.
Context
For centuries, Orthodox and Greek Catholic (Uniate) Christian Ukrainians have celebrated Christmas on 7 January, according to the Julian (Old) rather than the Gregorian (New) calendar. Since 2017, both 25 December and 7 January have been public holidays in Ukraine to acknowledge both calendars.
In common with many other European countries, Christmas Eve is celebrated with a solemn meal comprising of twelve dishes which symbolise the twelve apostles. The meal is meatless and includes the...
For centuries, Orthodox and Greek Catholic (Uniate) Christian Ukrainians have celebrated Christmas on 7 January, according to the Julian (Old) rather than the Gregorian (New) calendar. Since 2017, both 25 December and 7 January have been public holidays in Ukraine to acknowledge both calendars.
In common with many other European countries, Christmas Eve is celebrated with a solemn meal comprising of twelve dishes which symbolise the twelve apostles. The meal is meatless and includes the ritual dish of Kutya (poppy seeds, wheat and honey), followed typically by borscht, holubsti (stuffed cabbage leaves), varenyky (pierogi or dumplings), marinated herrings or another fish dish, pickled food and sweet treats such as compote (dried fruit stew). The meal cannot be eaten until the first star appears in the sky, and a place is always set for any deceased member of the family. It is traditional to decorate the table with a diduk – a sheaf of wheat tied with a ribbon – as well as a ritual bread called a kolach, into which a candle is placed and lit when the meal begins. The meal begins with a prayer, and this is followed by the breaking of a bread called prosfora which is dipped into honey and passed around the table to wish everyone a sweet year to come. This is followed by the kutya and the other dishes. The family then attends midnight mass. Presents are not usually exchanged at Christmas this happens at St Nicholas Day instead (19 Dec). On Christmas Day, people greet each other with the traditional greeting 'Christ is born', and attend church before celebrating with family and friends. Christmas carols are very popular, as is the tradition of carol singing. There are two types of festive songs in the Ukrainian tradition - koliady and shchedrivky - celebrating a range of religious and folk themes. The festivities continue with Malanka which marks Ukrainian New Year's Eve according to the old calendar on 13 January, and the Epiphany celebrations known as Vodokhreshchi (Blessing of the Waters) Yordan (Jordan) or Shedriy Vechir (Generous Evening) on 19 January. Both these festivals mix Christian culture with older folklore and traditions. Malanka combines the feast day of St Melania with an older, pagan ritual celebrating the goddess Malanka, and is celebrated with parties and performances of vertep plays featuring comic scenarios. The UK diaspora usually celebrate with a party or a dance held at the local Ukrainian cultural centre. Epiphany recognises the baptism of Jesus Christ by St John the Baptist in the river Jordan, and in the UK diaspora this celebrated with a ritual meal similar to Christmas Eve and the blessing of houses with holy water by both Orthodox and Greek Catholic priests. In Ukraine, many people celebrate by going swimming, often in icy lakes or rivers. In Bradford, the Ukrainian community also celebrated Christmas with two community events - a carol concert and a community Christmas meal, known as Yalynka (Christmas Tree). A vertep (nativity scene) is a common feature of a Ukrainian Christmas. In common with many Christian cultures, a vertep can appear as a static nativity scene placed in a church, a home or a community space. In Ukrainian tradition, a vertep can also be a puppet show or dramatic performance by children, young people or amateur actors, and either performed as part of a celebration or during the course of house to house carol singing. A vertep can also be performed at Malanka (Old New Year on 13 January) and for Shedriy Vechir (Generous Evening, 19 January). The characters which feature in a vertep can include Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the donkey, shepherds, the three kings / wise men, goats and sheep, soldiers and King Herod, as well as villagers, Cossacks, Jews, the devil and death. The characters are stereotypes and caricatured, and the scripts often rely as much on apocryphal texts, legends and comic scenarios as well as the gospels. The costumes used in a vertep can vary from region to region. |
