OVER a bowl of cool borshct soup and kompot (traditional boiled fruit drink), a handful of Ukrainian families celebrated their national day of independence in the Isa on Sunday.
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In Kiev, Ukrainians bore witness to a show of military strength amidst the country’s ongoing conflict, but there was no sign of anxiety or animosity between families from Russia and Ukraine around the dining room table in Australia.
Hours of fussing in the kitchen made way for a splendid feast of traditional Ukrainian and Russian foods served under the blue and yellow flag of the former Soviet Union nation.
Party hosts Alyona Hanton and Svitlana Cernoia explained the colour of their flag represented their great land: blue for the sky above and yellow for the land in Ukraine, which is exceptional for growing the country’s largest agricultural crop – wheat.
Wheat flour is a pivotal ingredient for Independence Day celebrations too.
A traditional Ukrainian blessing involves presenting guests with a slice of home-made, and often meticulously decorated, bread (korovai) after celebratory meals.
This offering of “bread and salt” is a wish for happiness and is part of every special celebration in life. “Bread and salt means to have good and rich life and not to have bad things in their life,” Mrs Hanton said. “To have love.”
Mrs Cernoia added: “We all celebrate all events together because we all are Russians. We are all Russian-speaking people.
“In Ukraine we have a parade, which goes in the centre of Kiev but it is now it is more day for rest and to celebrate with family.”
