"Shchedrik" or Ukrainian contribution to Christmas
I congratulate all Orthodox Christians today on the biggest and most joyful holiday of the year:
Merry Christmas!!! Christ is born, we praise Him!!!🌟
Good day dear readers of read.cash as you probably already realized today the whole Ukraine celebrates the Birthday of the Son of God Jesus Christ.
Today is my next article on a free theme. This is a reflection on life, different situations and the like.
In comments to my articles you can ask questions, as well as give your opinion on the subject of this article. Today I want, of course, to talk about Christmas.
A little bit of information for you about one of the most popular Christmas songs, its roots and variations.
After all, Christmas is a special holiday here, much more festive, sincere and family than even our New Year. We want to congratulate everyone and wish everyone what they need. And at the same time to share a Christmas melody, which this holiday isn't without.
I think you've all heard it. It's one of the soundtracks for movie "Home Alone" and I think the whole world has seen this movie!
This Christmas song is played at Christmas time in every Ukrainian home! People create Vets and go from house to house and sing this song.
- one of the most popular Christmas tunes, existing in dozens of variations and arrangements.
Many will be surprised, but this wonderful music is directly related to us, to my homeland, to my people. The author of the music is Nikolai D. Leontovich, a Ukrainian composer, choral conductor, teacher, and public figure of the early twentieth century. The talented musician, who was born in the Podolsk province (in what is now the Vinnitsa region), studied at the seminary, where he studied the theory of music, choral singing, and learned to play the piano, violin, and other instruments. Developing his musical education independently, Leontovich became interested in arrangements of folk songs, melodies, arrangements of folklore texts to music. The first edition of his "Shchedrik" carol, which Leontovich composed at the age of 24 (talent!!!👏) and many times revised later, brought him great fame and recognition. The first time the public heard this composition was the year when it was performed by the choir of the Kiev University. It was already the fourth version of Leontovich's Shchedrik, which became extremely popular and spread not only in musical circles, but also among the general public.
A non-Ukrainian reader might ask what schedryk is. Schedryk is a Ukrainian folk song szchedrivka (I do not know if there is a foreign version of this word), i.e. it is a holiday traditional song with wishes of a good harvest and all the best for the new year. It's called that because it's traditionally sung on a generous evening - the evening before Epiphany. (Forgive me for my complete religious stupidity and ignorance, but I'm not really knowledgeable in Christian holidays, if I'm somewhere wrong). But I, like you, love this holiday!!!
"Shchedrik" was performed at a concert at Carnegie Hall in the glorious city of New York during the tour of the Alexander Koschitz Choir (who emigrated to the US and later to Canada a couple of years later). So much the American audience liked the song, that after a while it was released by an American (also Ukrainian by birth👏) Peter Vilhovsky's version of Carol of the Bells. The popularity of this song is hard to overestimate: you hear it everywhere - in Christmas advertisings, commercials, greetings, at every Christmas fair, every holiday show is equipped with this music. Various pop, rock performers have repeatedly tried to give it a new sound, and make it in their own way.
The original lyrics of the song tells of a swallow that came to the head of the family to tell him that everything is fine, the lambs have given birth, the harvest is enough not to die of hunger, it is even possible to earn some money at the market, but money is not important, the main thing is that he has a black-browed and beautiful wife! In the English version it is not about a swallow, nor about a black-browed, lush-breasted hostess. There it is sung about the bells, heralding the feast of Christmas, the ringing of which brings joy, smiles, and good humor to both old and young.
The cause of the composer Leontovich's death, or rather the cause of his murder, is still a mystery.
According to the official Soviet version he was killed and robbed by a common bandit-Petlyurovitch, who asked him to spend the night in the house of Leontovitch (that's how you let strange people spend the night... 🙄).
Leontovich's legacy is not limited to one "Schedrick," but there is no doubt that this tune, his most famous work, spread around the world, will live on for decades to come.
And I want to cheer up all readers of read.cash today with this wonderful chudrik that I told you about (the words are the original "chudrik"):
Cheek, cheek, cheek,
The little flipper flew in,
She began to chirp,
The master's voice:
- Come out, come out, sir,
Look at the sheep pen,
The sheep rested there,
And the lambs are born.
You have all the good stuff in you,
You'll have a lot of money.
If not money, it's sex,
You've got a black-haired woman in you.
Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio,
The little flapper flew in.
I know this song by heart, all our small children know it, it's our history! And not knowing our history (any country) - is not respect for the future!!!
How long is Christmas in Ukraine?
The holiday in Ukrainian families begins in the evening of January 6 and lasts until January 14!!!! Can you endure so much, dear readers of read.cash? 😂
During these days there are so called: caroling, sowing, chipping.
"Caroling, caroling, caroler...".
But after supper's over the streets are filled with crowds of young people dressed in costume. At the porch of every house there's a performance,...where the central figure...is the goat. The jockeys wish happiness to the owners.
Probably no other nation in the world celebrates it so long😉 on the night from 13th to 14 Ukrainians have a chance to to see off the old year for the second time and celebrate the New Year. The holiday is called is called 👇
The Old New Year.
There's no other Vertep in the world like there is in Ukraine! This is another Ukrainian contribution to the history of Christmas...but that's a whole other story of mine.
Merry Christmas! 👼
May this magical holiday fill your life with light, warmth, joy and prosperity. I wish you peace, kindness, love and family comfort. May your guardian angel protect you from all troubles and hardships!
Peace to your home! Christ is born! Praise him!
I thank my sponsoring friends! My sponsor friends, thank you! As strong as we are, support increases our strength! It's like a breath of fresh air when difficulties pile up and don't let us breathe! Thank you for your support! I will always remember and thank you.
Image sources: facebook.com zen.yandex.ru neobychno.com and edited by me.
I thank God for his help in writing this article, and you, dear readers, praise him if your reading has been helpful to you.
I want to know your opinion.
If you are interested in my content,then I invite you to read my other articles:
https://read.cash/@Belozoriana/onion-and-garlic-jam-f71c50ef
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https://read.cash/@Belozoriana/we-eat-to-live-not-live-to-eat-5fc88f83
https://read.cash/@Belozoriana/choice-or-a-reaction
https://read.cash/@Belozoriana/gravlax-or-they-are-not-rolls-fb460b64
Best wishes for your whole family 🤗