A wedding took place in the village of Pidhaitsi, on June 23, 2008. Pidhaitsi is in the Volyn region of Western Ukraine. Many of the early settlers of the Canadian prairies came from Western Ukraine starting over 100 years ago.
The wedding was between Ruslan and Tania. Although Pidhaitsi village is only 2 km from the city of Lutsk, the village has maintained its own identity and customs. Even to this day a wedding is the biggest event that will occur in the village and everyone is involved in ensuring it will be successful. A key wedding symbol is the wedding bread, or korovai, and it must be prepared according to traditional custom.
For this wedding, the korovai for the groom was to be made at the house of the groom’s mother (Pani Hanna). She is a famous cook who has cooked at many weddings in Pidhaitsi and she invited four women to help, these women are called the korovainytsi. Only happily married woman can be involved in the baking which has to occur on Thursday (a male day).
Tetiana Volodymyrivna leaves her house with a traditional “pakynok” (a bag) with the ingredients for the korovai.
Pani Hanna gives presents to the korovainytsi in a ceremony before beginning to make the korovai.
Pani Hanna first says a prayer and then blesses the dough, then the korovainytsi can start kneading the dough.
At the beginning, the dough is mixed slowly and carefully. Usually it takes up to 1 hour to mix it well.
When mixing the dough becomes difficult, the korovainytsi start singing traditional songs.
Pani Hanna gives the korovainytsi some cognac so they will be happy, and that her son’s marriage will also be.
After the mixing is finished, the dough usually takes up to 1 hour to rise.
When the mixing is finished the korovainytsi find 2-3 men and wash their faces with dough.
Another well-known tradition is stealing wood for the stove in which the korovai will be baked.
The left over dough is usually used to make little doves. At the end of the wedding every korovainytsia gets one.
It is important to prepare the stove so it will be at the right temperature. The korovai will bake for two hours.
Here we see pani Ganna decorating her son’s korovai with marsh-mallow cream and sugar roses.
