Red Deerians celebrated a Ukrainian Christmas with carols and treats.
Nearly 100 people attended the Red Deer Public Library's Ukrainian Koliadky Party inside the downtown branch's Snell Auditorium on Saturday, Jan. 11. (Koliadkas are traditional songs sung during the Christmas season.)
"Our Ukrainian-Canadian community were invited to come here today to celebrate Christms," said Tatiana Tilly, RDPL strategic planning and engagement manager.
"Some Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December and others celebrate it on Jan. 7 — there are two different church calendars. The spirit of the holiday is about joy and celebration of Jesus Christ's birth. We're celebrating through singing, enjoying the season and enjoying each other's company, while having some tea and traditional Ukrainian treats."
A similar Ukrainian Koliadky Party was hosted in 2020. Tilly said she was excited to bring the event back this year.
"It was a full house here today. We hope to keep this as a tradition going into next year because we have a large Ukrainian-Canadian community here in Red Deer, and this holiday is very close to their hearts," she said.
"We have quite a few older Ukrainians living here. Sometimes, they can feel quite isolated — some of them haven't been able to learn English. Giving them an opportunity to come to a free and accessible space to be with others and celebrate the holiday season, I think that's very important."
A choir comprised of community members performed to the audience at the event. The audience was then asked to sing a couple carols as well.
The Ukrainian Koliadky Party was the conclusion to a series of events hosted by the Red Deer Public Library highlighting various wintertime festivities. The library also hosted a Hindu cultural celebration throughout the month of November, an Indigenous Winter Solstice Storytime event, a Kwanzaa celebration and a New Year celebration, which was attended by about 90 people at the Dawe branch.
"I'm very happy with how everything turned out," said Tilly.
"I can definitely see that there is more to the winter season than just Christmas."
