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Dear Sponsors and Guests,
Last Thursday saw our first guest webinar come to fruition and what a great evening it was. The webinar was opened by our Chief Executive, Marcel Coiffait, and translated by our Ukraine Support Officer Iryna.
We showed a presentation with over 30 slides covering topics like continuing sponsorships, moving to private rented accommodation, how to learn the necessary skills to help get a job, volunteer opportunities, drop in session and much more.
On hand to answer any questions were representatives from the service areas all working together to support guests and sponsors, with Iryna providing translation throughout.
I hope those in attendance got a lot out of it and feel more empowered and confident in taking those next steps. Don’t worry if you missed it, the session was recorded and is ready for you download at your own convenience with lots of useful links and contact details.
Also last week Iryna and Hannah from the Ukraine Support Team were welcomed by the volunteers at Flitwick library as they conducted their English Chat session. As a team we are always looking for more groups to join so we can meet more guests and sponsors, daytime or evening do let us know if you have Ukraine based session and we will do our best to attend.
Please do remember that you can contact the Ukraine Support Team either by calling 0300 300 8855 or emailing homesforukraine@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Mel Goult, Ukraine Support Team Manager
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Easter in Ukraine
By Iryna Kanyuka, Ukrainian Support Liaison Officer
For Ukrainians, who are primarily Orthodox Christians, Easter is the most important religious holiday of the year.
Many Christians will celebrate Easter on 9 April this year, and the festival will also be marked by Orthodox Christians a week later on 16 April.
Easter is the brightest, most majestic holiday in Ukraine, and it is celebrated with a variety of traditions.
Similar to Ukrainian Christmas, Easter in Ukraine is closely connected with pagan traditions. Some traditions were inherited from ancestors, keeping peculiar rituals and activities intact. Others have been modified over the years and have diversified among various family customs.
The word for ‘Easter’ in Ukrainian is Velykden’, which translates to ‘Great Day’.
The preparation for Easter begins two months in advance. People lent and fast with strict devotion, as the country is passionate about adhering to the faith.
Palm Sunday also exists at Ukrainian Easter. Here, however, it is called Willow Sunday. Of course, there are no palm trees in Ukraine, which is why Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is commemorated with willow branches. The branches are blessed by the priest in the church both among Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Ukrainians. After that, people take the branches and gently strike their fellows. At the same time the believers say something. For example, in Western Ukraine it is: “Не я б’ю – верба б’є! Через тиждень – Великдень!” – “I do not beat, the willow beats. Easter is in a week!” However, the sayings differ depending on the region.
The Thursday before Easter is traditionally the last working day of the Easter week. On Clean Thursday, many people clean their homes and often themselves. Everything has to be cleaned, gardens planted, fieldwork finished, clothing ready for Sunday Mass.
Easter isn’t Easter without traditional Easter cakes (kulich or paska) and Easter eggs (pysanka and krashenka).
Families usually cook several paskas of different sizes. It is important to maintain quiet and peace in your home while paskas are baked.
Modern paskas often contain things like raisins or candied peel and also are decorated on top.
Another crucial element of Ukrainian Easter is pysanka – an egg decorated with folk ornaments. Traditional pysankas are painted with wax, and they are true works of art.
Professional pysankas are made by artists who have extensive knowledge of this ancient craft as well as of the symbols that are painted on eggs.
At home, Ukrainians decorate eggs with simpler methods. They can use food paint, buy special ornamented egg film, or dye eggs with natural ingredients. For example, onion peel gives eggshells rich golden color, beetroot – pink, and turmeric – yellow.
On Good Friday (Velykodnia Piatnytsia), the church often sets up a plashchenytsia representing the tomb of Christ for worshippers to pray at. Blessing of the food baskets (Sviachenia) takes place on Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday, depending on the customs of the region.
Before going to church on Easter, Ukrainians prepare a special Easter Wicker basket
In the basket, they put paska and Easter eggs, cheese, ham, and sausages. They also add a willow branch and an embroidered towel – rushnyk.
Church-goers at Easter Sunday Mass greet each other with Христос воскрес! Воістину Воскресе! (Khrystos voskres! Voistynu Voskrese!), which means "Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!" After service, it is time to start the festivities, fill the table and extend greetings.
Everyone awaits Easter day, as a festive mood blooms throughout the country and families come together to celebrate with food.
Easter’s festive table is of great importance, as the holiday follows the Great Lent and weeks of prescribing to certain postulates. On Easter day, the table is always full of fish, meat, and dairy dishes in particular or even horilka (a drink you can try only in Ukraine), which is blessed with holy water by a priest.
Ukrainians love traditions and each family has its own way of celebrating Easter.
News and updates
Webinar for guests
Last week we hosted a webinar for Ukraine guests. Our Chief Executive Marcel Coiffait introduced the webinar, and our Ukraine Support Officer Iryna provided translation. Thank you to everyone who attended - we hope you found it useful.
If you weren't able to attend, or if you did attend but enjoyed it so much you'd like to watch it again, we recorded it.
Community events
Drop in sessions in Biggleswade
We're hosting drop in sessions for sponsors and guests to give everyone an opportunity to socialise, find out about support and share information. Children are welcome and refreshments will be provided.Biggleswade Youth Centre, 137 Mead End, SG18 8JU
The next sessions are: 28 March - 10am - 11:30am
Please call 0300 300 8114 for more information.
Other resources and support
New mental health support service available for young people
There is a new free and confidential mental health support service for young people in Central Bedfordshire, Bedford Borough, Luton and Milton Keynes.
The service is a free, confidential, anonymous service, designed to provide people with ‘in the moment support’. It can help with issues such as anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts.
People aged 11 to 25 living in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes can text the word REFLECT to 85258 to be connected to a trained Shout Volunteer.
Conversations take place entirely by text message and aim to help the person texting reach a calmer place with a plan to move forward. Volunteers will also signpost them to further support available locally.
The service is free to use on EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. Texts to the service will not appear on your phone bill and all messages are confidential unless there is concern about someone’s safety.
Practical assistance is available
St Francis & St Peter's St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) is offering practical assistance to any guests in need, for example with things like shopping, fetching prescriptions, lifts, befriending and in addition depending on our resources with grants to help in an emergency. SVP covers Biggleswade, Shefford and surrounding villages.
For further information please email SecretaryE140104@svp.org.uk or phone 07526 753986.
Don't forget about our website!
Don’t forget about our website! We have created a whole section which covers the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, initial support for guests, how to access financial support including Universal Credit, as well as information about education, training, how to set up a bank account, health and wellbeing. Most of our website can be translated into Ukrainian.
To find out more and see what information we have available, visit: www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/ukraine-sponsors.
Contacting the Ukraine Support Team
Telephone: 0300 300 8855
Email: homesforukraine@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk