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Текст виступу Посла, Постійного представника України при ООН Сергія Кислиці під час цього заходу:

REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF UKRAINE TO THE UN H.E. MR. SERGIY KYSLYTSYA AT THE UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS. KOLIADA

(18 December 2024, UNHQ)

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am truly delighted to welcome you all to the thematic reception, Ukrainian Christmas: Koliada, held here for the first time at the United Nations premises.

It is thanks to the bravery of our defenders that families across Ukraine can once again uphold their cherished traditions and gather for the Holy Supper this year. And it is thanks to the unwavering support of all of you that Ukraine not only stands but stands firmly.  

Tonight, we invite you to experience the sounds, sights, and tastes of a Ukrainian Christmas. Let me start by introducing a few key Ukrainian words that you’ll hear tonight and often if you visit Ukraine during the Christmas season:  

Rizdvo: the Ukrainian word for Christmas.  

Svyat Vechir: Christmas dinner, or Holy Supper.  

Vertep: a nativity scene or a folk theater performance depicting the birth of Christ.  

Kutia: the centerpiece dish of our Christmas table, made from wheat kernels, honey, and poppy seeds. You simply cannot leave here without trying it!

Koliada: a carol.

Speaking of Carols, out of many it is the Carol of the Bells that comes to mind. Especially in this city, and not only if you are or were in “Home Alone”.

The Ukrainian composer and music teacher Mykola Leontovych first arranged the music for the traditional folk song, “Shchedryk” (its title shares a root with “Shchedrist,” Ukrainian for generosity). The Ukrainian American Peter J. Wilhousky, a choral director and music director for New York City Public Schools, wrote and published new English lyrics in 1936 with the title “Carol of the Bells,” adding the seasonal signifiers “sweet silver bells” and announcing “Christmas is here.”

Fourteen years before that, when the Ukrainian National Chorus took to the Carnegie Hall stage for the first time in October of 1922, they did so with an ambitious 35-piece program that paired some classic pieces with stirring Ukrainian folk songs and contemporary compositions, and tucked into the first half of the program was the American premiere of the future hit, then performed as Mykola Leontovych’s arrangement of the Ukrainian folk song “Shchedryk.”

Less than a year before the US premier of the song known today as the Carol of the Bells, Leontovych’s reputation as a star of Ukrainian culture was on the rise. After fleeing Kyiv upon its capture by the White Army, he founded a music school in the western Ukrainian town of Tul’chyn. But on Jan. 23, 1921, he was targeted during a visit to his parents’ home, and an undercover Russian agent killed Leontovych in his sleep, part of a concerted effort to wipe out Ukrainian culture.

Dear friends,

Ukraine is a nation where Christmas is deeply cherished. It is so significant that even our defenders on the frontline strive to celebrate the Holy Supper on December 24.

We are a nation with vibrant traditions of house-to-house caroling and performing the Vertep. We are a nation where St. Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 6, is a favorite holiday among children, who eagerly await the gifts St. Nicholas places under their pillows.

Tonight, we are excited to share with you some of the key elements of our rich Christmas legacy: the Vertep, the Koliada, and the traditional dishes served at the Holy Supper.

In Ukrainian culture, vertep is a portable theatre and drama, which presents the nativity scene, other mystery plays, and later secular plots as well. The original meaning of the word is "secret place", "cave", "den", referring to the cave where Christ was born.

Before the second half of the 18th century, when the earliest known text for a Vertep performance was written, this tradition existed as an oral art form.

All of this unfolded within the Ukrainian Baroque, a vibrant era in Ukraine’s history spanning the late 16th to 18th centuries. Shaped by the influence of the Cossacks — early champions of Ukrainian independence — this period wove together ideas of resilience and a flourishing of artistic and intellectual life, leaving a lasting imprint on the nation’s cultural and political identity.

In Ukraine, the Christmas table is a beautiful and meaningful gathering place for families on the evening of December 24. The table is set with 12 dishes, symbolizing the 12 apostles, and all are prepared without dairy or meat, as they follow the Christmas fast. The meal begins when the first star appears in the sky, and the eldest in the family lights a candle, saying the words: Day Bozhe dobryi vechir – “God, grant us a good evening.”

Our Christmas traditions are so rich and well-preserved because, for Ukrainians, Christmas has always meant so much. Above all, it has been a celebration of our deep faith in God, a faith that has sustained us for over a thousand years, since our ancestors embraced Christianity.

Throughout our history, Ukrainians have fought to safeguard and preserve the essence of Christmas in our lives, even during the darkest times.

Christmas is life.

And today, our nation has shown the world that we choose life – and we fight for it.  

As we celebrate, I take this opportunity to wish each of you a very blessed Christmas.

Without further ado, I am pleased to invite you to discover the Ukrainian Vertep and immerse yourselves in the beauty of our Christmas traditions.