MS. GRAVEYARD DIRT

Sviata Vechera, 2010, by Ms. Graveyard Dirt

Sviata Vechera usually consists of twelve dishes spread out through four courses: kutia, borsht with pickled condiments and bread, the main dishes and then dessert - and they’re always eaten in that order. It’s considered very bad form not to have a token amount of everything, but because Italics has coeliac disease he’s got super special permission not to take part in the annual kutia (which is a glorified cereal made out of whole wheat kernels) ceremony. Which, you know, is sort’ve fitting since wheat, for me, is a representation of the divine male; it’s my job to grow it, nurture it, harvest it and then keep the sacred seeds safe until it’s time to plant again.

The serious shit happens right at the start with the first course, where blessings, prayers and ritual divination takes place using the kutia. After the semi-solemn ceremony the head of the house booms “Khrystos Rodyvsya!” (Christ is born!) and all of the peons (heh) joyously respond with “Slavim Yoho!” (Let us glorify Him!). It’s at that moment when everyone finally relaxes and begins enjoying the long evening ahead of them.

This year’s Sviata Vechera menu followed the traditional Ukrainian Holy Supper formula - 12 dishes (18, in total, this year (it was supposed to be 19 but I couldn’t get my hands on any pickled herring), and 15 of those had to be made from scratch) spread through 4 courses, but it also paid homage to Italics’ ancestors and the last course (dessert, aka “the only course that REALLY counts”) reflected our addition to the annual feast.

(A proper dessert was never really presented to the family after dinner, and it always seemed a little anticlimactic. On our first Christmas “alone” (the in-laws take off for two weeks to Spain so the 21st, 24th, 25th, 31st and 1st are very quiet, intimate affairs between Italics and I) we baked ourselves a chocolate-chestnut Yule Log, and we’ve made one every year since.)

Pictured above: kolach (ritual bread centerpiece), kutia (wheat-based cereal), borsht (beet soup), bread (gluten-free and sauerkraut’n’rye), dill pickles, pickled mushrooms, holubtsi (stuffed cabbage leaves), kapusta (sauerkraut), kartoplyanyky (potato pancakes), mashed potatoes, mushroom sauce, pyrohy (pierogies), skirlie (toasted oats), swede and a homegrown garlic bulb (my grandfather fucking LOVED raw garlic). For more in-depth information about any of the food be sure to read my Sviata Vechera Menu, 2010 journal entry which breaks down the menu dish by dish.

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