Myrnam, Alberta

Karen Kitt Colford a parishioner at Assumption of the Sacred Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Myrnam, AB. remembers lots of rituals and traditions practiced by her church, the community, and her family. Christmas Eve was a special time as the whole family got together for the meal.  As a younger cousin, she was in charge of looking for the evening star on Christmas Eve.  The family would wait and, when the youngest child saw the star, they would sit down to eat their special meal. One action that made the meal special was setting an extra plate for ancestors. This plate would be left empty, but would serve as an invitation for ancestral spirits to join the family and partake of the meal.