UKELODEON

For The Next Generation

Whippany SUM-ivtsi present play for St. Nicholas Feast Day

by Mykola Kucyna

WHIPPANY, N.J. - On Sunday, December 15, the SUM (Ukrainian American Youth Association) branch in Whippany put on a play for Sviatyi Mykolai (St. Nicholas) at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church hall. Our counselor, Lesia Rago, wrote a very nice play about angels and how one angel wanted to give Sviatyi Mykolai a gift.

We all practiced very hard for the performance, and it went very well. Everyone new their lines and did a great job. The actors in the play were members of the groups "Stepovi Koni" and "Oleni": Paul Bilanych, Stephen Bilanych, Katia Kleban, Oles Kleban, Adam Klymko, Roman Kovbasniuk, Mykola Kucyna, Andy Rago, Christopher Rizzo, Steven Rizzo and Matthew Shashkewych.

The younger members, Deanna and Marki Andrian, Oles Gbur, Nicky and Victoria Mosuriak, Marianka and Solomiya Pylypiw, Martha Telepko and Bohdan and Stepan Woch, also sang a very nice song, "Dzvinky Dzvoniat" which is "Jingle Bells in Ukrainian.

Everything was very nice, and we were lucky because Sviatyi Mykolai came at the end and visited us. Mykolai gave out presents to all the good children, but the chortyk (little devil) tried to run after some of them and give them prutyky (twigs). We had a lot of fun and I think everyone enjoyed the show.

Maybe we can do this again next year and it will be another success.

Mykola Kucyna, 13, of Livingston, N.J., is a member of the "Stepovi Koni" group of the Ukrainian American Youth Association's branch in Whippany, N.J.

Hillside parishioners give a warm welcome to Sviatyi Mykolai

HILLSIDE, N.J. - St. Nicholas visited many loving children at Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hillside, N.J., on Sunday, December 8. He was warmly welcomed by the Hillside community, and in honor of his visit, several children and adults presented a bilingual holiday entertainment program.

Children's performances included: keyboard music (Sarah Shatynski and Nadika Szpyhulsky); poetry recitations (Krista Erakovic and Nadika Szpyhulsky); sopilka (Danylo Spyhulsky); and flute (Rebecca Shatynski).

Several children (Christine, Rebecca, Sarah and Lisa Shatynski) researched "The Legend of the Candy Cane" and presented their findings to the audience. The legend indicates that the candy cane has specific Christian symbolism. The white in the candy cane symbolizes the purity of Jesus, while the red symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed for us when he died on the cross. The shape of the candy cane reminds us of the letter "J," which stands for Jesus. Some sources say the shape of the candy cane was designed to symbolize a shepherd's staff.

Odarka Polanskyj-Stockert added a special festive glow to the program by performing selected international Christmas carols on her harp. The children in the audience became so engaged in the harpist's program that they rushed to pick up several percussion instruments to assist her in the program.

The Rev. Bohdan Lukie, CSsR, and the Rev. Leonard Ratushniak, CSsR, helped lead the audience in singing Christmas carols. Mike Szpyhulsky served as emcee. Sophika Stockert, Nadika Szpyhulsky, Christine, Rebecca, Sarah and Lisa Shatynski served as St. Nicholas' angel helpers, while Russ Pencak was liaison to St. Nicholas.

Passaic Plast members help orphans in Ukraine

PASSAIC, N.J. - The "novatstvo" and "ptashata" of the Plast branch in Passaic, N.J., decorated two Christmas trees, which are displayed in the auditorium of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School, as seen on the photo on the left. This year's trees were decorated with school supplies, such as crayons, pencils, scissors, notepads and rulers donated by the children. After the holidays, the school supplies will be sent to an orphanage in Ukraine. This is the second year that these youngest members of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization have decorated "good deed" trees. Last year's donations of mittens, gloves and hats were sent to an orphanage in Ternopil.

Morris County kids honor Sviatyi Mykolai

DENVILLE, N.J. - Sviatyi Mykolai, or St. Nicholas, visited the Lesia Ukrainka School of Ukrainian Studies here on Saturday, December 21. In honor of his visit, the schoolchildren put on a short play. Seen in the photo on the right are some of the play's main characters, the angels and snowflakes, whose appearance preceded St. Nicholas' arrival. After the play, St. Nicholas distributed gifts to all studious and good children.

Mishanyna

This month's Mishanyna, prepared with the National Geography Bee in mind, is a double challenge. First, name the capital cities of the countries listed below. We've given you a clue by providing the first letter of the capital's name and spaces corresponding to the number of letters that follow. Then, search for the names of the capital in the Mishanyna grid above.

Good luck!

Afghanistan - K _ _ _ _
Australia - C _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Belgium - B _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Canada - O _ _ _ _ _
Colombia - B _ _ _ _ _
Cuba - H _ _ _ _ _
Czech Republic - P _ _ _ _ _
Ecuador - Q _ _ _ _
Egypt - C _ _ _ _
France - P_ _ _ _
Great Britain - L _ _ _ _ _
Greece - A _ _ _ _ _
Italy - R _ _ _
Japan - T _ _ _ _
Kuwait - K _ _ _ _ _
Latvia - R _ _ _
Nepal - K _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Norway - O _ _ _
Peru - L _ _ _
Poland - W _ _ _ _ _
Portugal - L _ _ _ _ _
Qatar - D _ _ _
Spain - M _ _ _ _ _
Switzerland - B _ _ _
Taiwan - T _ _ _ _ _
Turkey - A _ _ _ _ _
Ukraine - K _ _ _
Uzbekistan - T _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Venezuela - C _ _ _ _ _ _

OUR NEXT ISSUE: February 9. Deadline for materials: January 31.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 19, 2003, No. 3, Vol. LXXI

| Home Page |