Today, I will quote from the Wedding Ceremony Program booklet, prepared by the Bride and Groom, especially for their wedding, to give you a better understanding of the similarities between the Byzantine and the Jewish wedding ceremony traditions.
You already learned about my experience with Ukrainian wedding traditions, Hindu wedding traditions, Ukrainian- Greek wedding traditions, and now I will share my reflections from a Ukrainian-Jewish wedding.
Today I will share a few pictures of the beautiful Christmas decorations in my church; St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware. It is an Eastern Rite church, with rich Ukrainian culture and beautifully sung liturgy.
We follow the Julian calendar, hence Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25th. However, Christmas Eve is very special in Ukrainian culture, as well as in Polish culture, as at the sight of the first star the Christmas celebration begins with a 12 course meatless supper, followed by a midnight Liturgy to celebrate the birth of Christ.