CELEBRATING UKRAINIAN CULTURE THIS SUMMER
July 11, 2023
THERE ARE MANY UKRAINIAN CULTURAL EVENTS THIS SUMMER! BRING YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR NEW NEWCOMER FRIENDS...
Probably anyone who ever attended "Ukrainian School" from childhood learned the famous worlds of the great Ukrainian Poet Taras Shevchenko who encouraged everyone to learn about the culture and faith and languages of as many other peoples as possible. BUT... not at the expense of one's own. What a shame it would be to allow ourselves to be convinced that other cultures and languages are worth more attention or esteem than our own. Yet, sometimes, this happens even subtly. Remember the many parish religious and cultural concerts where poems, songs, dances and short plays were performed? When people would gather in their yards on summer evenings to sing a seemingly endless repertoire of folk songs by memory? How many travelling to Ukraine from the 'diaspora' returned telling of how disheartening it was that many people in Ukraine itself preferred to speak another language besides Ukrainian? After years of sneaky and/or brutal propaganda, the identity began to fade. It took a brutal war for people to wake up to the ruthless lie that was about to close its jaws on Ukrainian history, religion, sovereignty and identity.
Here in Canada and in the province of Manitoba there are so many cultural events and organizations and venues that provide a great deal of opportunity for us to immerse ourselves in our culture, language, faith and identity. Let us get to know more about them and to take advantage of them for ourselves and for our families and for our friends.
Here is a short list of some of the Ukrainian cultural festivals taking place in Manitoba this summer....
Gardenton Ukrainian Festival (July 15)
Canada's National Ukrainian Festival (August 4-6)
Folklorama Spirit of Ukraine (August 6-12)
Folklorama Kyiv Pavilion (August 13-19)
Annual Marian Pilgrimage to Cooks Creek (August 18-20)
Oseredok Ukrainian Independence Day (August 25)
Ukrainian Canadian Congress Ukrainian Independence Day (August 26)
All these events are also seeking volunteers to make them a true success...
Тарас Шевченко
УЧІТЕСЯ, БРАТИ МОЇ
Учітеся, брати мої!
Думайте, читайте,
І чужому научайтесь, -
Свого не цурайтесь:
Бо хто матір забуває,
Того Бог карає,
Чужі люде цураються,
В хату не пускають,
Свої діти - як чужиї,
І немає злому
На всій землі безконешній
Веселого дому.
[...]
Обніміте ж, брати мої,
Найменшого брата, -
Нехай мати усміхнеться,
Заплакана мати!
Благословіть дітей своїх
Твердими руками,
І обмитих поцілуйте
Вольними устами!
І забудеться срамотня
Давняя година,
І оживе добра слава,
Слава України,
І світ ясний, невечірній,
Новий засіяє...
Обніміться ж, брати мої,
Молю вас, благаю!
