- Korovai
The korovai ( _uk. коровай) is a traditional Ukrainian
wedding bread. The bread has great symbolic meaning, and has remained part of the wedding tradition inUkraine and theUkrainian diaspora .Origins and decoration of korovai
The bread has ancient origins, and comes from the pagan belief in the magical properties of
grain . [http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pagesKOKorovaiIT.htm Korovai] at the [http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/default.asp Encyclopedia of Ukraine] ] Korovai was a large round braidedbread , traditionally baked fromwheat flour and decorated with symbolic flags and figurines, such as suns, moons, birds, animals, and pine cones. [Betsy Oppenneer. "Celebration Breads: Recipes, Tales, and Traditions ".Simon and Schuster , 2003. ISBN 0743224833] Wheat stalks, herbs, nuts, flowers and fruit were used to embellish the korovai. The bread has no set design, and the style and ornamentation of the korovai varies by region, although colors red, gold and silver were most commonly employed in decoration. [http://www.nazdorovya.com/korovai.htm Korovai] . Nazdorovya: Korovai by Lisa McDonald. Site last updated: 31 August 2007]The bread was traditionally prepared in the home of the bride by women who sang traditional songs to guide them through the making. These women were called the "korovainytsi", and were most often invited in odd numbers to do the job of making the bread, usually seven.
The embellishments served a symbolic function. Two birds, made out of dough, represent the couple, and other birds represent family and friends. The entire arrangement is surrounded by a wreath of
periwinkle , a symbol of love and purity. The korovai receives blessings before it is placed in the oven for baking.The
bride andgroom were given the korovai as a blessing before the wedding ceremony. The korovai was shared by all the wedding guests, and this was considered the culmination of the wedding. During times of hardship, when a wedding was impossible, the blessing and sharing of bread was often considered enough to constitute a marriage in the eyes of the community. [ Orysia Paszczak Tracz. "Vesillia: Ukrainian weddings in Manitoba over the last century ". "The Ukrainian Weekly ". October 27, 2002. ]Dividing the korovai
The top part of the korovai symbolizes the Moon; it is divided in half and belongs to the marrying couple, the next slice goes to the mother and father of the bride, and so on. In eastern Ukraine, the mother receives a pair of shoes made out of dough, while the father is given an owl, out of those decorating the korovai. [ [http://www.pisni.org.ua/arview.php?type=ar&id=94 Vesillia - Sviata Nedilia: Sviatyi Korovai] . Pisni.org.ua]
The bottom section of the korovai called the "pidoshva" can be shared with the guests and the band as a symbol of good luck and future prosperity.
References
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