12/24/2023
Twas The Night Before Rizdvo
(adapted from the original poem written by Clement Clarke Moore).
Twas the night before Rizdvo (Christmas) and in this Ukie house,
The family all gathered to eat sauerkraut.
The didukh and kolach were nestled all snug in its place.
While varenyky (Pierogie) were cooking and so was some fish.
Borscht was still simmering,
the Kompot was on ice.
No one was moving,
not even the mice.
Women in their hystkas and the men in their caps,
had all awoken after a 2 hour nap.
With the food on the stiel (table) and the dyite (children) playing in hay,
We were all about ready to stand up and pray.
When out on the doroha (street), there arose such a clatter,
We all left the table to see what was the matter.
Away to the window,
Kutia flew like a flash!
We screamed "Lock all the doors and hide all the cash"!
And what to our wondering eyes should appear
But an old ancient sleigh and a bunch of reindeer.
With a little old Vladyko,
so lively and quick,
We knew in a moment, it was Sviatey Mykolay (St. Nick).
His reindeer all came as he sternly shouted,
"On Stefko and Vlodko, Petro and Pavlo,
On Josyf and Yurko, Myhash and Levko!”
Then out to the smokehouse,
the reindeer all flew,
With a sleigh full of kovbassa and some Salo too!
Down the smoke vent he came, with a leap and a bound,
Dancing a hopak and twirling around.
He did a short kolomeyka,
then went to his work!
He gave us some presents,
and then turned with a smirk.
We gave him horilka and some of Dido’s Slavko's old clothes.
Then we all sang Nova Rada
and up the smoke vent he rose.
We heard him exclaim as we took off our coats.
"Veselyh Svyat to all and to all, Dobranich!" (Happy Holidays and to all a Good Night)!
