Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan
Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan
A fond memory for Bill Soloway and Ray Moroz of the Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Porcupine Plain, SK, is going carolling when they were young. There were two occasions for carolling: one was Christmas and the other was New Year’s. Each occasion demanded its own set of songs. Koliadky were the songs performed for Christmas and Shchedrivky were the songs sung at New Year’s. In addition to singing songs, carolling included saying blessing for the hosts and their families and wishing them a good crop in the coming year. This blessing is called a vinshuvannia. Carolling was highly structured. First you sang outside, under the window of the family you had come to visit, waiting to be invited in. Only after being invited did the carolers enter the house and sing indoors.
When they were younger, Bill and Ray practiced a custom called Siiaty. This is an activity for children which is also connected to wishes for crops and a good harvest. Siiaty is something that children do on the morning of New Year’s Day. It involves going to the homes of neighbors and relatives, throwing wheat about the house, and saying a greeting containing a wish. Siiaty would earn the children a reward. Back when Bill and Ray were little, the rewards were small: 5 cents, 10 cents, maybe just a penny. Bill can be heard reciting the full Siiaty verse on the recording.
Porcupine Plain(approximate location) |