by Yulia, age 7, asks Did Moroz do you carry a magic staff that can make snow?, about the Dnipro River, and the didukh wheat tradition
Dear Did Moroz,
My name is Yulia and I am 7 years old. I live in Kyiv, Ukraine, where my babusya keeps a small bundle of wheat called a didukh standing in the corner of our home all through the holidays.
First, do you carry a magic staff that can make snow?
Second, a geography question: what river runs through Kyiv?
Third, a school question about my country: why do Ukrainian families keep a didukh sheaf of wheat at Christmas?
I left you varenyky dumplings, just a few, and milk.
Love, Yulia, age 7, Kyiv, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
From the Desk of Did Moroz
Dear Yulia, thank you for the treat, it was wonderful. Now, your questions.
Do you carry a magic staff that can make snow?
I do, a staff that can call up a light dusting of fresh snow, mostly used to make the streets look their most beautiful for the holiday.
What river runs through Kyiv?
The Dnipro River flows right through the middle of Kyiv, splitting the city into its hillier right bank and flatter left bank, and it looks especially peaceful covered in a light dusting of snow.
Why do Ukrainian families keep a didukh sheaf of wheat at Christmas?
The didukh is a bundle of the very last wheat stalks harvested that year, kept as a symbol of the family’s ancestors and a wish for a good harvest in the year ahead. Families place it in the most honored corner of the home during the holidays, connecting each new generation to the land and to those who came before.
Z Rizdvom, Yulia.
Ho ho ho, Did Moroz
