dobryj den

This is the Ukrainian greeting, a way of saying hello. I learned it at the food bank.

While handing out books to the children of our clients at the local food bank, I learned this and other useful phrases in Ukrainian such as “How old is your child?” Our clientele has changed a lot over the years that I’ve been volunteering. Instead of Canadian, or Central American or East Indian, most of our clients now are Ukrainian immigrants. They seem to appreciate my efforts to welcome them in their language.

When I found out that the annual Ukrainian Festival was going on in our neighbourhood this past weekend, I thought it would be useful and fun to try to find out more about their culture. Peter agreed to explore with me. We took the subway to the start of the festival at Jane Street, walked the length of the festival on Bloor, and took the subway back home from Runnymede.

The smell of food was enticing during the entire route. There were bake stands serving up delicious pastries, drink places featuring mango concoctions, BBQ’d meats and vegetables, and of course the staple, pierogies. I haven’t eaten a pierogi since I was in elementary school and my best friend was Ukrainian. Sometimes she invited me for dinner at her house and I still remember that flaky pastry, the melted cheese and the sour cream on top. Yum

As we walked along the street, we passed booths offering clothing, ceramics, immigrant services, flowers, and books. One section of the festival was devoted to children’s entertainment – a ferris wheel, guessing games with stuffed animal prizes, and throwing contests. The most common booths were those raising money for the war in Ukraine. Visitors could pay to fly a drone, or just donate cash. These booths all had big line-ups.

Entertainment was provided on 2 large stages; one at each end of the festival. The first one featured Ukrainian children singing and dancing in costume. Their talent was applauded and cheered, especially from the parents in the audience. They had such pride.

A band performed on the other stage. The conductor sang the Ukrainian words enthusiastically, but Peter and I were speechless, so we just clapped and smiled.

We were thinking about how brave these people are, that they can find joy in their lives even as their country is being demolished by Russian forces, and other nations are turning their backs.

Sue