- Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 September 2014 11:22
The 33rd Annual Carpatho-Rusyn Celebration will take place on Sunday, October 26 at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church Social Hall, 201 East Main Street, Uniontown from noon – 6 p.m.
Slavjane Folk Ensemble |
The day will feature the heritage of the Carpatho-Rusyns who come from the very heart of Europe, along the northern and southern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. Their homeland, known as "Carpathian-Rus", is situated at the crossroads where the borders of Slovakia, Ukraine, and Poland meet. Aside from these countries, there are smaller groups of Rusyns in Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and the Czech Republic. In no country do the Carpatho-Rusyns have an administratively distinct territory.
The day will highlight various aspects of Carpatho-Rusyn culture. Mouth-watering foods such as pirohi, holubki, halushki, kolbasi and sauerkraut, nalesniki (potato pancakes), soups, and much more will be served. There will also be a variety of baked goods including kolachi (apricot, nut, poppyseed, and cottage cheese rolls), pagach, and breads.
A Divine Liturgy Saturday, October 25 at 5:30 p.m. will include a blessing for the event and festival workers. There will also be a Divine Liturgy on Sunday, October 26 at 9 a.m.
There will be on-going entertainment which includes music, folk dancing and singing, demonstrations, videos, displays and presentations. A musical group of Rusyn musicians will play polkas, cardas, and other favorite selections at 1 and 4 p.m. Slavjane Folk Ensemble dancers and musicians from Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church, McKees Rocks, will perform at 3 p.m. with songs and dances.
Information on various topics such as Carpatho-Rusyn family customs, both secular and religious, genealogy and tracing cultural roots, and recent trips to the Carpathian homeland will be available. At 2 p.m. there will be a cooking demonstration and at 4 p.m. John Righetti will speak about Rusyn culture. There will be videos and displays of Carpatho-Rusyn culture and customs, and iconography.
Once again there will be the fun-filled children's activities room where children can experience the Rusyn culture through storytelling, and making folk crafts such as wooden eggs, bookmarks, decorated cookies, coloring sheets, and more.
Church tours at 2 and 4 p.m. will enable visitors to view the 3-tier icon screen and outdoor shrine at St. John's Church. A pictorial display through power point and visuals will depict the span of 32 years of the Carpatho-Rusyn Celebration at St. John's.
Tables of crafts for sale will include contemporary crafts as well as traditional Carpatho-Rusyn folk crafts. There will be CDs/DVDs of religious music, folk music, and folk dancing. Many raffles include Steeler memorabilia, folk art and craft items, and much more.
The day will be one full of color, life, and music for family entertainment. There is no admission charge. The pastor is Father Ronald P. Larko. For more information, call 724-438-6027 M-F 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
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